Kimber Wolf
by Texan Red Rose
Summary: After her parents disappeared on a hunt, Kim took over leading the Possible pack. As they struggle to survive, the young omega recieves help from an unlikely source, and two shewolves learn that Pack Law is just another rule meant to be broken. AU, KiGo
1. The Hunt

Foreword: Some characters' names have been slightly altered to fit certain aspects of this story. It should still be pretty obvious who is who, though.

**Disclaimer:** Kim Possible and related characters belong to Disney. The premise for this story belongs to Berserkeroo. Therefore... I _seriously_ own nothing.

Kimber Wolf

-The Hunt-

The night was calm, the full moon above giving the hunter enough light to see the trail ahead of her. She moved as quietly as she could, hoping not to scare off her prey, especially since she'd spent nearly two days tracking the deer. If she didn't bring down _something_, her small pack would surely starve. Just thinking of her younger twin brothers and cousin, safely curled up next to each other in their den, focused her determination tenfold. This hunt _had_ to be successful; there was no alternative.

Olive eyes raised to look at the moon, the shewolf forcing the urge to howl a prayer to Fhang, the wolf goddess, down as she sniffed the wind, looking for the scents of her packmates. Two were upwind of her while the other member of their small hunting group stayed downwind. Kim, the unofficial leader, didn't need her scent to know Yori, like a shadow along the forest floor, was in place on the same side of the clearing as Kim, downwind of their targets. On the other side of the clearing were Rone and Wade who, while not being much of hunters, provided rather excellent distractions and interference when needed. Reassured that her packmates were in place, Kim stalked forward, her ears laying back against her skull as she crept along the forest floor, making as little noise as possible. In her ears, every snapped twig echoed through the night and she was certain the deer could hear her coming from a mile away.

_Come on, Kimber, pull yourself together! Focus!_ Kim mentally reprimanded herself, her crimson fur standing on edge in anticipation for her strike. Hiding in the shadow of a tree, Kim could see her targets lightly grazing in the moonlight. Three deer, obviously separated from the rest of their herd, chewed on the grass aimlessly while the wolves began to surround them. On the north side of the clearing, Kim could see two blobs moving through the underbrush of the forest, one a light golden color while the other looked nearly black in the shadows.

Rolling her shoulders slightly, the shewolf lowered herself to the ground, waiting for Rone and Wade to drive the deer straight towards herself and Yori. Already, the deer were abandoning their meal, heads whipping around in fear as the wolves' scents reached them. Kim dug her paws into the dirt, preparing to use every muscle in her body to launch at the nearest deer. If they managed to bring down all three, the whole pack would eat well for at least a week. They _needed_ this! The deer took a few hesitant steps towards Kim and Yori, Rone and Wade about to pounce from the treeline opposite them to startle the creatures. She felt her heart soar as two shadows, one golden and the other chocolate, began to surge from the treeline. One more pounce and the deer would be sufficiently terrified into charging for Kim and Yori, and Kim couldn't-

"Argh!" Kim yelped, her paws instantly moving to cover her ears as the most horrid sound she'd ever heard tore through the night. Fear gripped her heart as she felt a slight rumble, her eyes flying open as the deer bolted away from the noise, driving the creatures away from her hunting group. Though the noise still hung in the air, Kim surged forward, trying to sink her teeth into the slowest deer. As she lept, the shewolf knew she'd missed her target, meeting only grass and dirt as she hit the ground, rolling slightly. Shaking her head, Kim saw a black wolf fall in the same way she did, confirming that Yori had also missed.

"Aw, what _is_ that?" Rone whimpered, batting his ears with his paws in a vain effort to make the torture stop. Wade was simply huddled on the ground, paws pressed against his skull while his tail curled up against his body, as if his chocolate fur could blend in with the dirt. It was his first hunt and for something of this nature to happen, well, it was less than ideal. The hunt had failed. The taste was bitter in Kim's mouth.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Kim growled, stalking in the opposite way the deer had fled, heading east. There were brief pauses in the sound but Kim couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what it was. She saw her packmates attempt to follow, though Wade had his tail tucked between his legs, and the crimson wolf had to stop. "Whatever it was drove them towards the den; you three should go after them. I'll catch up after I put an end to that awful racket."

"Is that wise?" Yori questioned skeptically, her jet black eyes reflecting the moonlight. "You don't know what that thing is."

Kim dipped her muzzle in acknowledgement but gave a cocky, canine smile. "Please, like anything out there can handle me."

"Kim, maybe you shouldn't. This isn't our territory," Rone piped up, his chestnut eyes flicking to behind them where, looming above the treetops, their mountain stood silently in the night. A cave near the foot of their mountain was their den, their home, but their territory didn't extend much further beyond the mountain's shadow. "What if one of the Go wolves find you?"

"Oh please, Rone," Kim rolled her eyes, padding off to investigate the sound still ringing through the night. "I'm a Possible. I'm sure I can manage."

"But if you run into an Alpha..." Wade trailed off, already retreating towards the safety of the mountain. While he had always wanted to go on a hunt, the youngest matured wolf of the pack was ready to admit he wasn't a hunter by any means. He would gladly stay with the pups now that he knew what the hunt was like.

Again, Kim rolled her olive eyes. "Alpha or not, I'll be fine. Omegas can be just as strong as Alphas."

"Kim-"

"Go home, Rone," Kim growled, her lips curling up to reveal a hint of her fangs. It wasn't meant to be threatening and Rone didn't take it as such; continuing the conversation just was not an option with his best friend.

"Right. Yori, lead the way, those deer shouldn't have gotten too far," the golden wolf turned and padded towards the fresh tracks, sniffing around them to get the scent for himself. Wade eagerly followed the golden wolf though he didn't bother pretending he wanted to run into the deer again. Yori, black fur gleaming in the moonlight, flashed Kim a smile.

"Fhang watch over you, Kim. Please put it out of its misery," Yori giggled before running after Rone and Wade, easily picking up the scent. She was certainly the best tracker of the group and no one would ever contest that.

Turning away from her packmates' trail, Kim set her olive orbs on the far end of the clearing, sniffing the air for any sign of what was causing the noise but got nothing. It had died down a bit since it initially started, a minute or two passing before it would start up again. Without her nose to lead the way, though, her ears had to, despite how utterly painful it was to do so, especially with the sound getting louder with each step.

_What a pitiful creature! How could anyone let it just writhe in pain like this? Fhang, where is your mercy?_ she thought, all the while drawing closer, weaving through the forest until she came to another clearing. The sound had stopped so she would need to wait until the next cry before proceeding and she needed the rest besides. Two days on the trail had worn her out. Kim sat on her haunches and sighed, scratching behind her right ear absently.

"Damnit!" Kim ears flicked forward, hearing the growl easily in the still night. Curiously, but cautiously, Kim crept towards a large rock formation, her eyes scanning for any movement whatsoever. "Why can't I get this right?"

The voice was distinctly feminine, though the angry growl gave it a rough edge. Kim couldn't help but grin; obviously someone was a little upset. As she came to the foot of the rocks, her olive orbs caught sight of another wolf, mounting the highest rock with ease. Instantly, the shewolf was awestruck.

Pale green fur practically glowed in the moonlight, broken up by patches of black between her ears and on her underbelly, with two black socks on her right forepaw and hind leg. She looked exotic, as Kim had yet to see a two toned wolf, and though there was still distance between them, the crimson wolf could see the muscles rippling beneath pale green fur. No doubt about it; this wolf was an Alpha of the Go pack.

Emerald eyes were fixated on the moon, anger written all over the Go's muzzle as she prepared to howl. Kim wasn't sure what she expected- no doubt something that portrayed the strength and fierce pride she could almost taste in the wolf's scent- but what she got was the pitiful shrieking that had launched her quest in the first place. As close as she was, Kim couldn't help but whine as her ears were assaulted once more, earning the pale shewolf's attention.

"What are you doing here?" the pale wolf demanded, fur rising as she glared down at Kim. While never one to be rude, Kim flashed her fangs, a sign she would defend herself if need be.

"Just looking for what was making that sound," Kim growled out, backing up slightly. She wasn't afraid of the shewolf but, knowing which pack the pale green wolf belonged to didn't bode well for Kim if the other chose to fight. "Question answered. I'll be on my way now."

"Good riddance, you filthy omega," the green and black wolf growled, gnashing her teeth. Truly, her anger was directed at herself for drawing attention to her secluded spot with her practicing but she wasn't about to explain herself. However, olive eyes dangerously glinted up at her as the crimson wolf scowled.

"There's no reason to insult me!" Kim defended, her retreat halted as she stood proudly halfway between the rock formation and the treeline. "Your racket ruined my hunt!"

"Hunt? You?" the pale wolf cocked her head to the side, her anger misplaced as confusion took its place. She had already identified the crimson wolf as an omega and, according to pack law, omegas were never part of the hunting parties. Omegas were downright useless in the Go pack, as far as the Alpha was concerned. "What sort of pack allows its omegas to hunt? Are your Alphas so pitiful?"

"My pack has no Alphas," Kim admitted, steadily disliking the pale green wolf the more she spoke. "I lead my pack."

"_You_ lead your pack?" the Alpha shook her head, visibly stunned by Kim's words. At the moment, the anger that had began the conversation was the furthest thing from her mind. She needed the distraction anyway, the pale wolf decided, and settled herself down on the rock to observe the omega. Her lips quirked up without displaying her fangs. "Omegas don't _lead_ packs. That's the Alphas' job!"

"I already told you, we don't have any Alphas," Kim growled, eying the shewolf warily. At least the Alpha no longer seemed aggresive, though the omega didn't trust the pale wolf's appearance in the least. Besides that, the pale wolf was treading on thin ice with this particular subject. "Our Alphas... we just don't have any, okay?"

"Hmph. A pack can't last long without an Alpha to lead them. Why haven't you joined with my pack? The Go wolves have always been strong," the shewolf crossed her paws and laid her muzzle down, still watching the crimson wolf below.

"I'll take it into consideration," Kim growled. "Don't hold your breath though. Possible wolves are just as strong as Go wolves."

"You're a Possible?" the Alpha nearly bit herself when she realized that only two wolves in the entire territory had pelts of crimson, one of whom hadn't been seen in almost a year. "So, it was _your_ mother and father who disappeared last winter?"

"Yes. I have taken over the pack until they return," Kim growled menacingly. The shewolf was now in dangerous territory with Kim and she had no intentions of allowing the other wolf to mock her loss. "We're done here. Next time you want to impersonate a dying moose, do it away from my hunt!"

"Excuse me?" came the growled reply as the pale wolf rose, her anger returning in full force. "How dare you insult me! I'm an Alpha!"

"So you were born with a silver trout in your mouth, no big," Kim turned away and started back into the forest, ready to rejoin her pack. "Might explain why it sounds like one's dying in your throat."

She had taken her third step when one ear flicked back, hearing the scrape of claws on rocks. Instinct kicked in, and the skills she'd honed since taking over the pack put her in motion, her body dropping to the ground as the pale wolf sailed over her. Kim briefly noticed that the black fur that started between her ears ran the length of her spine down to her tail before the shewolf spun around, teeth catching the moonlight as emerald eyes filled with rage. Olive orbs met that heated glare as Kim responded in kind, her crimson hair standing on end as she snarled back, leaping at her challenger.

They danced beneath the moonlight, snapping and swiping at each other with sharp teeth and strong paws. Though the pale wolf was slightly bigger than Kim, the crimson wolf managed to make up for her lack of size with speed and wit, outmanuevering her opponent with ease. Well, not ease, per say, as Kim's strength was starting to flag, her body still exhausted from the hunt. She wasn't about to back down though; the Possibles were proud wolves and would fight to the bitter end, just like any Go wolf. When the shewolf reared up on her hindlegs to deliver a killer swipe with her paws, Kim took the opportunity to leap at her chest, knocking the pale green wolf back. They rolled a moment, ending with Kim on top though the wolf pinned beneath her continued to snap and claw at her. Kim was able to return a few of the attacks but before she knew it she was pushed onto her back, emerald eyes glinting down at her.

They stopped then, a pause in their battle as each tried to catch her breath. Though most of their blows had failed to break skin, each was bleeding in a few places. Kim's crimson fur kept her injuries from being too obvious in the moonlight but the red stood out vividly on the pale green fur. The wolf's tongue licked along her muzzle, the coppery taste of blood confirming the omega had indeed proven a worthy match.

"What's your name?" the green and black wolf questioned, still poised over the crimson wolf with one paw on her chest. Olive orbs displayed her confusion, so the pale wolf questioned her again.

"Kimber. My packmates call me Kim," the crimson wolf replied, knowing in her heart that she was beaten. However, her head was desperately trying to pull together a plan to escape the shewolf while staunchly ignoring that Rone, perhaps, had a good point when he warned her about the Go Alphas.

"Kimber? Hmmm, I see." Kim's ears laid back a moment before she cocked her head in slight confusion. The pale wolf simply smirked back at her. "I'm Shego. Nice to meet you, Kimmie."

"My name is-" Kim stopped suddenly as a howl tore through the night. Though distant, Kim recognized the tone as Rone, with Yori and Wade joining in a moment later. Her packmates were wondering where she was as her little mission shouldn't have taken so long.

"Friends of yours?" Shego had heard the voices too but didn't recognize them. She rarely paid attention to such trivial matters as the howls of other wolves. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if that was why her own howling sounded so terrible.

"Yes," Kim replied, eying her captor warily. "Mind getting off me so I can answer them?"

Shego regarded the crimson wolf a moment before slowly easing off the shewolf, watching as Kim righted herself and shook loose leaves and dirt from her fur. Facing the den, Kim lifted her muzzle to the moon and let out a long howl, putting whatever strength she thought she could spare to carry the notes to her friends. Though Kim didn't notice, Shego's jaw dropped open slightly, impressed by the power of the smaller wolf's voice. It sounded almost like music to her, a first as far as she could remember.

A minute passed as Kim's voice echoed through the forest, reaching the mountain with ease. When her packmates returned her howl, the omega realized they had been unsuccessful in their pursuit and would be returning home. The pack would starve another night.

"Great. Just great," Kim sighed, turning back to the path she'd followed to the clearing. Remembering she wasn't alone, Kim turned her olive orbs on Shego and dipped her head slightly, trying to appease the Alpha's sense of superiority. She even laid her ears back and tucked her tail, as if she was afraid of the shewolf. "Excuse me, Shego, but I must return home."

"What about your hunt?" the Alpha raised one brow, sitting on her haunches to set the omega's mind at ease. Shego had enough fighting for one night and there was no honor in killing an omega anyway. Olive eyes dropped to the ground as the crimson wolf growled out her reply.

"It's over. I failed."

Shego watched the omega leave in silence, waiting until she was alone in the clearing before licking her wounds. Though she refused to admit it out loud, Kim had put up a decent fight against her, an omega against an Alpha. It went against everything she'd been taught- the very concept that one of her omega brothers could put up a fight against her was purely laughable- but she had the wounds to prove it. They showed that things she knew to be fundamentally impossible were, in fact, possible.

Shego sat in the clearing, licking her wounds, for an hour or more, listening to the tones of Kim's howl resound within her mind. Once her fur was sufficiently clean, Shego looked up to the moon and made a decision.

_To Be Continued: A Fair Trade?_

Author's Note: As stated, the premise for this story belongs to Berserkeroo, who posed a challenge over on the Haven about a possible fusion of KP and the movie _Alpha & Omega_. I, erm, changed quite a bit in regards to her original idea, but it still belongs to her and I have her blessing to post this, and thus, here it be. As it stands, barring any random craziness, this fic will be updated weekly. That's right; I somehow got myself together enough to figure out a posting schedule (*coughforthisficanywaycough*). Will wonders never cease? Bah, anywho, hoped you enjoyed the first chapter!


	2. Fair Trade?

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own a damn thing. Characters to Disney, premise to 'Roo. Oh, not sure if I mentioned it before, but the Title was suggested by Love Robin. I seriously don't own a damn thing, hehe.

-Chapter 2: Fair Trade?-

"Kim!" Three voices yipped together, the wolf pups scampering to the cave's mouth to welcome the crimson wolf home. Kim smiled down at her two brothers and cousin and, tired as she was from the past few days, nearly couldn't tell the difference. The three pups all had some variation of muddy brown fur and bright blue eyes, though her cousin's sometimes looked green. Once she could tell the three appart, she nuzzled each with her nose in greeting.

"Jim, Tim, Joss, did you behave while we were away?" Kim knew Rone had already asked the same question when he, Yori and Wade returned but she couldn't help herself. She always worried her energetic brothers and clever cousin would drive Felix mad, as he was on permanent pup-sitting duty.

"They were perfect little angels," Felix replied as he limped up to the cave's entrance, dragging his right leg behind him. The injury had occured when he was still a pup and he didn't remember much of the incident itself but the omega rarely let it bother him. "Come on, Kim. Yori was able to snag a rabbit on her way back. We left you some."

"Thanks, Felix," Kim smiled at her packmate while padding deeper into their den. Despite Niqe's repeated questioning, Kim refused to reveal what, or who, had been making the noises that ruined their hunt, even after the rest of the pack joined in on the inquiry. She was simply too tired; she needed rest and food. The rabbit portion left for her, though small, was the most food Kim had eaten in a good while and she was grateful. Once the rest of the pack noticed their leader's lack of energy, the wolves settled themselves in for sleep, silently deciding they would continue to pester her about things tomorrow.

After finishing her meal, Kim stretched out in her little corner of the cave, finally granting her body the relaxation it so desperately needed. Much to the crimson wolf's relief, the smell of the freshly killed rabbit managed to overpower whatever scent might've been left though so no question were raised. She'd been careful to wash most of the blood off her fur in a stream on her way back, hoping none of her packmates would smell it once she returned but it had been a concern.

As she felt sleep begin to take her, Kim thought back on Shego, from the pitiful sounds the Alpha tried to pass off as her howl to their intense battle. While she couldn't say she liked the pale wolf much, Kim could admit a grudging respect for the stronger wolf. A confident voice in the back of her mind asserted the Alpha wasn't any stronger than herself, just better rested, but Kim wasn't too keen on testing that theory.

With any luck, their paths wouldn't cross again.

Exhausted as she was, Kim slept well into the afternoon the following day, her packmates careful not to wake her. When she did finally stir, it was only because her stomach was demanding more meat, which she didn't have. Kim had to surpress a growl at the thought of another hunt.

"Good morning, Kim. Sleep well?" Wade lifted his muzzle to greet the crimson wolf, obviously more at ease in the den than he was on the hunt the night before. Curled up by his side, more for comfort than warmth, laid the pups, still slumbering through the occasional rumblings of their stomachs. Kim winced at the sound but focused on the chocolate wolf.

"I suppose you could say that," Kim yawned, her tongue lolling out slightly as she started to stretch out, muscles violently protesting the action. Apparently, that fight the night before had taken a greater toll on her than she thought. The rest of the pack was about the small cave, resting to conserve their energy. Without it being said, Kim knew it would fall to her to organize the next hunt, which she somewhat dreaded. They couldn't afford to fail again; it would certainly mean the end of the pack. The omega _refused_ to let that happen.

"Uh, Kim?" Felix called, frozen in place at the mouth of the cave. Crimson ears perked at her name, completely distracted from her train of thought, and the shewolf made her way to stand beside her packmate, more than a little surprised at what she saw. She had to shake her head to be certain it wasn't some strange delusion.

"Sh-shego?" Kim called out incredulously as she gazed, slackjawed, at the pale wolf below, the carcass of a bear beside her and blood splayed across her muzzle.

"I was bored and thought you could use the meat," Shego gave a toothy grin while licking her chops, sitting on her haunches as her emerald gaze held Kim captive. "Well?"

The omega didn't need further prompting.

"Yori, Rone, Niqe, Wade, come here quick!" Kim barked back into the cave before leaping down the rocky face, eager to take the Alpha up on her offer. The four wolves, drawn quickly by Kim's tone, were elated to see the kill and rushed down to start tearing the dead bear apart and take the meat up to their den. They did eye Shego warily at first but, upon sensing Kim's intense focus on the Alpha, allowed their pack leader to deal with the outsider. Kim eyed Shego, unsure what to make of the offering but certain skepticism would aid her. Eventually, she vocalized the only thought in her mind. "Why?"

"Well, since I ruined your hunt, I thought I would show you what an Alpha can do," Shego's smug tone grated on Kim's nerves, prompting the crimson wolf to snap out a response.

"Omegas can be just as deadly hunters as Alphas, you know," Kim scowled at Shego but the pale wolf just shrugged.

"You and I both know being a good hunter is a talent a wolf is born with as an Alpha or bereft of as an omega," Shego watched as the four wolves of Kim's pack returned to the carcass and took a second mouth full each, feigning disinterest in the angry omega. The pale shewolf could see the gleams in their eyes though, the slight raising of their fur, each sending a silent message that they would defend their 'pack leader' if need be. For the moment, Shego ignored them; a batch of omegas didn't intimidate her. "Do you honestly believe otherwise?"

"Yes, I do," Kim growled, glaring at the other wolf. Emerald met olive again in challenge. The crimson wolf was rested enough to fight- though she still had her doubts on winning- but her pale green counterpart didn't seem interested in fighting.

"Alright, if that's what you believe, how about we make a deal?" Shego padded forward, speaking quietly. Though Kim was wary of the Alpha, she was certain she could handle the shewolf if things came to that.

"Why make a deal at all? We outnumber you," Kim growled her warning, knowing at least Rone and Yori would be useful in a fight. Wade, Niqe, and Felix would be more concerned with whisking the pups to safety.

Shego's ears laid back a moment, clearly insulted by the threat. Regaining her composure smoothly, the pale wolf shrugged, motioning towards the cave with her muzzle. "I don't do anything for free, omega. I spared your life last night and brought you food this morning, so you are already testing my generosity. I doubt your pack can afford to fend off the full strength of the Go pack."

Kim growled, preparing to settle herself into a fighting stance but paused. Damnit, Shego had a very good point. "What's this deal?"

"I will teach you to hunt." Shego stated simply, momentarily entertaining the idea of placating the proud omega with acknowledgement of any base talent she might posses, but dismissed it. The proud, defiant crimson wolf was already wearing on her nerves. "I can teach you to track down a bear like this and kill it yourself. A mighty handy skill for a wolf with a hungry pack."

Kim's ears laid flat against her skull, lips curling to reveal teeth for a brief moment before she considered the possibilities. The Alpha probably did have some better training than she did in the art of hunting and the prospect of her pack never going hungry was promising. Sitting back on her haunches, Kim studied Shego, who was barely a paw's length away. "And the catch?"

"Here's the tradeoff: I'll teach you to hunt like I do," Shego glanced over at Kim's packmates, still dividing the meat while taking a moment to eat a few pieces themselves. "And all I ask in return is that you teach me to howl like you do."

Kim's eyebrows shot up, surprised at the price Shego asked. She wanted to instantly rub in to the smug Alpha that wolves were born with the ability to howl but she stopped herself. Kim realized that if she attempted to use the 'born with it' excuse, the pale wolf would turn it around to prove that Alphas were 'born with' superior hunting skills. She'd either have to agree to the deal or prove herself wrong. She hated being proven wrong.

"Why?" Kim couldn't help the question, her head cocking to the side as she studied the Alpha. Instantly, Shego's ears flicked back as a fierce snarl came to her lips but, again, the pale wolf reigned in her anger. She refused to tell the crimson wolf that she had her mating ceremony quickly approaching, the success of which would bond together the powerful Go pack and the equally esteemed Senior pack.

"My reasons are my own, omega," Shego snapped, emerald orbs meeting olive as the two nearly lept at the other's throat. "Are you taking the deal or not?"

Kim sorely wanted to sink her fangs into the pale wolf's muzzle, just to put a stopper on that insufferable Alpha pride, but the familiar presence of her pack kept her from doing anything rash. After all, once the bear meat was gone, they would be hungry again. Kim was clearly the better off in this trade, though she did wonder if she could retain her sanity for long if Shego proved difficult in learning to howl. Still, she had three pups and her packmates to think of, to care for, to protect.

"It's a deal. Name the time and place." Shego regarded the crimson wolf a moment, grateful her little plan had worked. That was the easy part though; the hard part would be the lessons.

"The ridge, tonight. Since you have more than enough meat, we'll start with you teaching. Don't be late," the Alpha ordered, turning to pad back to Go territory now that her little mission was complete. If she could somehow manage to sound like the crimson wolf did, she had no doubt the mating ceremony would go off without a hitch. She didn't particularly care for the ceremonial process but, as her mother and father were very adamant on her participation, she had little choice. Shego had quite the fury when sufficiently enraged but she didn't dare think of the deep well her mother could draw from, if she so wished.

"I won't be," KIm growled, watching the pale wolf leave, a small voice in the back of her head wondering what she'd just gotten herself into. A counterpoint quickly responded that it was all for the good of the pack, and that's all that mattered.

"Oh, and Kimmie," the pale wolf called over her shoulder, pausing midstride. Kim's ears perked up as she tried her hardest not to snap at the nickname Shego insisted on using. "Our little deal... stays between us."

"What?" Kim growled, turning her head back to the den and noticing her packmates watching her with concern evident in their scent. She was willing to bet their fur was standing on end as they watched the exchange. By the time her gaze left the other wolves, the Alpha was gone. The crimson wolf was only too happy to see her impromptu visitor depart though part of her conceded that it was perhaps the most fortunate visit her pack had ever experienced. The only thing that could top Shego's appearance would be the reappearance of her parents. However, that was not likely to happen, much to Kim's dismay.

With a bit of a sigh, she turned away from the forest and returned to the den with a heavy mind. She knew her packmates would want explanations but Kim wasn't sure what she would say. She hadn't actually agreed to Shego's last condition but, at the same time, she didn't want to risk her packmates' safety in any way.

"Kim, who _was_ that?" Rone stepped forward as Kim climbed the stones up to the den, concern evident in his chestnut orbs. The others seemed to echo his confusion, Wade nervously glancing off into the forest as if expecting the pale wolf to return. Olive met chestnut a moment before Kim lowered her gaze.

"That... was a Go Alpha," Kim replied hesitantly, brushing past the others to pad quietly into the cave, a slight smile coming to her muzzle as she found the pups playfully fighting over a chunk of bear meat. Though she knew the others were following her in anticipation of a real explanation, Kim instead stole the piece of meat while the pups were distracted with each other and started chewing. She needed time to think and eating seemed to be the only way to buy that time. It didn't hurt that Kim was hungry as well.

Rone eyed the pack leader warily before sighing, going over to the amassed bear meat and tearing off another piece. He waited for the pups to notice Kim had stolen their meat before tossing them the new chunk, settling himself down to watch the three way tug-o-war continue. However, only Joss seemed interested in the food while her cousins seemed more intent on retribution towards their sister. The crimson wolf merely chuckled a bit when Jim and Tim assaulted her ears with playful nibbles, carefully snapping her jaws at the small wolves.

"Guess she's not going to talk about it," Niqe softly growled, settling down next to Rone as the pups continued to assault Kim, Joss joining in on the action, leaving the chunk of meat alone for the moment. While Jim and Tim continued to chew Kim's ears off, Joss started taking playful swats at her cousin's crimson muzzle.

"She will eventually," Rone assured the skeptical mocha colored wolf, smiling as Felix joined in the assault, on Kim's side. He picked up Jim by the scruff of his neck and growled, challenging Tim to help out his brother. The pups alternated between attacking their pupsitter and the pack leader, burning off the energy their unexpected meal had granted them. With Kim disposed as she was, the other wolves decided to gorge themselves on the surpluss of meat. They weren't sure if they would get another surprise donation from the Go Alpha, so they tried their hardest to savour the taste of the fresh kill while it lasted.

_To Be Continued: On The Other Paw_

Author's Note: I am currently on vacation (yeah, it finally happened!) so this might be coming a little later than ususal, but still 'on time', so to speak. Next update is 10/7.


	3. On The Other Paw

**Disclaimer:** What is the purpose of this? I die a little every time I admit I don't own Kim Possible and company. Plus, I loathe redundancy. Meh. Read the story! (Which is possible thanks to Berserkeroo!)

-Chapter 3: On The Other Paw-

Shego had gone straight home after dealing with Kimber, deciding to catch up on her sleep until their scheduled appointment that night. Unlike the Possible pack, the Go pack didn't make their den in the side of a mountain, choosing instead a large rock formation in a clearing towards the heart of the forest. It was more or less in the center of their territory, the sprawling forest claimed solely by the Go pack. Shego was well aware of the other packs that bordered the forest, mainly concerning herself with the Senior pack in the valley to the northeast and their sister Go packs to the south. However, she had never actually met a wolf from another pack until the night before.

It was strange, meeting Kim and seeing the rest of the Possible pack. They were vastly different from the Gos- and not just in the colors of their pelts. While a Go could easily be recognized by their two tone fur, there appeared to be nothing linking the Possible wolves together. Well, except for where they lived. The pale wolf had noticed that, when Kim called for her packmates to start ripping the bear apart, the wolves all came from the same den. She couldn't imagine sharing a living space with her whole pack; sharing one with her Alpha brother was already a nightmare.

"Hey sis!" twin voices called out as soon as Shego padded into the clearing. Tired as she was from the night, Shego had to roll her eyes at the bounding pups heading her way. They looked identical, which was rare among the Go wolves- even littermates had different secondary colors, the primary color always being jet black. The Wegos, however, were both the same bright red on their underbellies and muzzles, with red socks on the left side of their bodies. For a moment, Shego compared the red of their fur to Kim's, noting that the crimson wolf's fur had a more orange tint than her omega brothers. "Where have you been?"

"Out," Shego continued towards her den, pretending to ignore the Wegos as they danced around her, begging her to hear about whatever adventure she'd embarked upon while away. The red and black wolves were old enough to be considered mature but, as her youngest brothers, the pale wolf continued to think of them puppies. "Maybe when you grow up, you two can go out and find your own adventures."

"Aw, c'mon Shego!" the grown pups whined, one being so bold as to try and nip at Shego's ear to win their argument. He failed, of course, his muzzle swatted away by the Alpha's quick paw. The omegas often tried to play with their Alpha siblings but were either thwarted by their parents or knocked aside easily by the Alphas themselves.

"Would you two give it a rest?" Shego growled, too exhausted to even consider spending any energy on the bothersome omega pups. All she wanted was some sleep; was that too much to ask? Another attempt at playing with their sister earned the Wegos a few snaps from Shego's powerful jaws, snaps that certainly would have broke skin if she was actually looking to bite them, which sent the two on their merry way. Shego could only hope the red and black wolves were the only ones looking to halt her progress to a refreshing nap.

"Shego!" a familiar bark caused the shewolf to cringe. Oh, how she hated her father at times. However, if her father was calling her, the chances of getting any sleep without further headaches were significantly reduced to near nonexistant levels. Keen emerald orbs searched out the hulking figure of her father, Presgo, who was stalking towards her from the depths of a nearby cave. "Shego!"

The shewolf whirled and growled, lowering her upper body to the ground, ears laying flat against her skull as her father approached. She was ready to pounce if her father was in a fighting mood but the silver and black wolf seemed more interested in glaring daggers at his daughter than fighting her. The two toned fur easily marked him as a Go wolf, though his pattern slightly differed from his daughter's- he had silver socks on all his paws and the silver ran in streaks along his back with his tail completely black. He also had a bit of a raccoon's mask in silver, while the rest of his fur was the same jet black as the rest of the pack.

"Yes, Father?" Shego growled out, watching as the black and silver wolf, easily her size and a half, came to sit in front of her, his hard black eyes gleaming like his fangs as he spoke.

"Have you fixed your little problem?" With Shego still poised to attack, Presgo towered over the shewolf. He noticed Shego break eye contact, glancing to the side as he brought up the touchy subject and barked. "Have you?"

"I'm working on it," Shego growled back, raising up to meet her father's gaze. Even standing, the pack leader was noticeably bigger but Shego ignored that, challenging him to further discuss the issue. After tonight, she promised herself, he would have no reason to look down on her like he always did.

"You'd better be. I shouldn't have to remind you how much is riding on this," Presgo lectured his only daughter for perhaps the fiftieth time since the deal was struck. He had lectured his eldest son just as often though for an entirely different reason altogether. Sometimes, the Go Alpha wondered what he'd done to deserve such thick headed children. "This union will-"

"Unite the Gos and Seniors, expanding our territory and hunting grounds, _I know_!" Shego snapped, lifting her right paw slightly before setting it firmly back down. Sometimes, she got so irritated with her father, she just wanted to challenge him for control of the pack so she could subsequently banish him. Oh, that would be a day to remember. However, while she didn't doubt her fighting ability in the least, he was still the pack's Alpha and to challenge him, she would also probably have to fight her mother. Now _that_ would be a battle, but Shego knew she wasn't ready to take on _both_ of them. Luckily for her, she didn't have to like her father to respect his authority within the pack. "Will you let me go get some sleep now?"

Presgo grunted, still glaring at his daughter, but moved away, granting her access to the cave she shared with her eldest brother. Truthfully, she hated the other Alpha almost as much as she hated her father; Shego vastly prefered the company of her omega brothers to the eldest of their generation. The pale wolf pushed the thoughts away, settling herself down on her favorite rock, ready for some well deserved rest. However, before she could even close her eyes, a familiar scent filled her nose.

"What do _you_ want?" Shego groaned, knowing the shewolf before she ever entered the small cave. With a slight smirk, Shego's mother, Jugo, padded over to the resting shewolf. The elder shewolf had two tone fur, just like the rest of their pack, but had a distinctly different pattern, marking her as a southern wolf. Her fur was mostly jet black, except on her underside which was a dusty gold color, stretching from the base of her tail up to the underside of her jaw, spreading down her legs in like manner. There were dashes of gold elsewhere- above her eyes and down her back- but those were small splotches that lacked any sort of true design. Despite not having the same patterned fur, Shego liked to think she took more after her mother than her father, as the two shewolves were closer in size.

"Glad you remember your manners," Jugo drawled, stopping in front of the pale wolf and sitting on her haunches. Knowing she wouldn't be rid of her mother's presence until she paid the older shewolf proper attention, Shego lifted her head off the rock and met Jugo's cool blue eyes with her emerald ones. "I heard some outsiders were near the western border. You were out that way last night. You wouldn't happen to know anything about them, would you?"

Shego wanted to growl but forced the sound back. Of course her mother would know every little thing happening within the forest; the pale wolf swore up and down the shewolf could whisper to the rocks and trees to find out whatever information she wanted. "They were just some wolves from the Possible pack out on a hunt. They didn't manage to make a kill though."

"The Possible pack?" Jugo frowned, her ears cocking forward as she thought over her daughter's response. "I thought they disbanded when their Alphas went missing last year. Such a shame, too; they've been around since Vingo's time."

"Yeah, well, their omega daughter took over the pack and leads it in the Alpha's absence," Shego replied dismissively, completely ignoring the mention of her ancestor. She was in no mood for another history lesson. Jugo had come to Shego because she knew the pale wolf had information regarding the slight intrusion; it was in Shego's best interest to be as forthcoming as possible. Otherwise, she might never get some sleep. "They're struggling but surviving."

"Hmmm, I see. At least they failed in their little poaching scheme," Jugo then shrugged, turning away from her daughter and heading back out into the daylight. While Presgo led the pack officially, Jugo commonly tended to matters of territory and anything concerning the Go pack's connection with the other packs that surrounded their lands. It was a thankless job, as most wolves didn't concern themselves with anything but eating and mating, but the tasks suited the gold wolf just fine. At the mouth of the cave, Jugo stopped and looked over her shoulder, suddenly remembering an important piece of instruction for her daughter. "If you see them within our borders again, you had better kill them, Shego. Their lineage doesn't grant them imunity to pack law."

Shego grunted, laying her head back down and pretending to fall asleep instantly. Her mother didn't linger- probably searching out someone else to interrogate- which was fine by the pale wolf. Whether or not she'd heed her mother's order, though, was still up in the air. She definitely wouldn't kill the crimson wolf if she could learn to howl from the omega. While she was just as ruthless as her parents, she also had a sense of honor. However, if Kim _couldn't_ fulfill her part of their deal, then she was free game.

So was the rest of the Possible pack, for that matter.

_To Be Continued: Harsher Than It Sounds_

Author's Note: A bit of a short chapter, yes, but don't worry, next chap is closer to my usual length. I just really wanted to show a bit of the Go pack before getting to the howling lessons.


	4. Harsher Than It Sounds

Author's Note: As I will be travelling the next few days, I'm posting this a little early. Unfortunately, my vacation is over. Sad day. Next update will be 10/21.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing- not the characters or the premise. Period. Cruel fate!

-Chapter 4: Harsher Than It Sounds-

That night, as Kim tried to sneak out of the den, Rone confronted her about the Go Alpha. The crimson wolf had been expecting it but she still hadn't managed to come up with anything to say. While part of her didn't care for Shego's amendment that she keep the trade off of teaching a secret, the overwhelming majority demanded she do so to protect the honor of her pack. Her parents had always taught her to respect all wolves, even ones she didn't particularly like.

"It isn't like you to keep secrets, Kimber. What's going on?" the golden wolf half demanded, half begged. He truly didn't like acting antagonizing towards the pack leader, especially since they were best friends, but he felt it was justified given the abrupt appearance of the black and green shewolf earlier in the day. While the Possible pack rarely engaged in territorial battles, they had never been exactly friendly towards the Gos, and he was certain the feeling was mutual.

"Rone," Kim sighed, disliking hearing her full name from the omega. It was a sure sign that he was worried and that he wouldn't just let the topic drop without good reason. She appreciated the concern but, at the moment, she truly didn't need it. There was already a voice in the back of her head trying to convince her to just stay in the den and forget about the Alpha's hunting lessons altogether. As usual, that voice was being overridden by the possibility that she might help her pack. "I'm trying to keep us alive. Shego is going to help, but I have to help her too. It's for the best."

"Shego?" Rone visibly pulled back, slightly shocked. His mind was racing; he _knew_ that name from somewhere. Then it hit him, leaving the omega feeling slightly foolish for not seeing it before. "Isn't she one of the next pack leaders for the Gos?"

"I don't know, Rone, I didn't ask," Kim growled, glancing up at the sky. The moon was starting its climb, meaning she would have to run to make it to the meeting place early. She didn't want to give the pale wolf an opportunity to mock her. The golden omega seemed slightly hurt by Kim's response, so she added in a more gentle tone. "Please, Rone, don't worry. It's for the best, for all of us. She isn't the nicest wolf I've ever met, but she's trying to help us."

"I understand that Kim, I just, y'know, don't want you getting yourself killed out there," Rone turned his muddy brown eyes on the crimson wolf, wearing a sad smile. "I don't think the pups could take losing you too. None of us can."

"I know," Kim winced, dipping her muzzle as she thought of the risk she was taking. There was no way she could trust the pale wolf but she _needed_ the hunter's training. Besides, she'd already fought the Alpha and barely lost- surely she would win now that she was getting her full strength back. In her mind, the gains outweighed the risks, and it was as simple as that. "Keep an eye on them for me?"

"Of course," Rone instantly replied, stepping closer to nuzzle the crimson wolf a little, a comforting gesture Kim was grateful for. "Just call for us if anything happens. We're always ready to fight."

"I will," Kim shook her head and smiled, a confident gleam in her olive orbs. "Besides, if she does anything stupid, I'll just drag her back here by the scruff of her neck and let the Tweebs annoy her to death."

Rone laughed. "That would be a _far_ worse fate."

Kim smiled, then turned back down the path away from the den. She hadn't gotten far when Rone called out again.

"Hey, Kim... may Fenrir watch over you," the golden wolf solemly called, a hint of unease in his voice. He didn't like the idea of Kim leaving to meet the pale Alpha by herself and it had little to do with doubting his best friend and pack leader. Gos were known for their ruthlessness and their killer instinct.

"I'll be fine, Rone," Kim gave him a confident grin, trying her hardest to set the omega at ease. Making a point to glance up at the moon, which looked full at a glance, the crimson wolf returned the farewell with its standard response. "Fhang will guard me."

After that, Kim set back on the trail, a little sad she hadn't spoken the words near as often as she once did. Her mother was the spiritual leader of the pack, always telling them stories of the wolf god Fenrir and the wolf goddess Fhang. The crimson wolf remembered clearly those puppyhood nights when she was curled up with her mother- sometimes Niqe, Wade, and Felix would join her, and later Ron and Yori- and the Alpha shewolf would tell as many stories as she could before the pup drifted off to sleep. Those were the days.

The moon was rising high when Kim finally made it to the ridgeline, the northern boarder of the entire territory. It was a long drop to the plain below, which stretched north for as far as the eye could see, but the view was fantastic. The crimson wolf only had a few minutes to admire the grassy plain before she heard claws scraping against rocks, her ears flicking around at the noise.

"Well, I'm pleasantly surprised," Shego padded over to the Possible omega and sat on her haunches, a slightly amused expression on her muzzle. While the conversations prior to her sleep had been unpleasant, to say the least, Shego woke to her brother being chewed out, quite literally, by Presgo. She had never seen the black and blue wolf so scared; it was nearly impossible to break her mood with the sight of the hulking Alpha running away with his tail tucked between his legs. Kim, on the other hand, frowned, unhappy with the pale wolf's implication and apparant mirth.

"I said I was going to come, didn't I?" It took effort to keep her tone civil, but Kim managed. Part of her groaned, thinking what exquisite torture the lessons would be if, barely a minute into being in the other's presence, they were already getting on the other's nerves.

"Well, yes, that I didn't doubt," the pale wolf honestly replied; the Possibles needed the food too badly for Kim _not_ to come. Keeping her amused expression in place, Shego continued in a nonchalant manner. "I _did_ expect you to tell Rone all about our little deal, though."

Shego laughed when Kim's face fell, shock and surprise showing readily in the crimson wolf's face. "How did you-?"

"It's called awareness, Kimmie, a hunter's skill. I'll teach you," Shego reigned herself in, turning a decidedly preditorial smirk on the omega. "But only if you can teach me."

Kim snorted, not appreciating how her 'howling apprentice' was acting. It was as if the whole thing was a game to the pale wolf which, Kim conceded, it might be. After all, what wolf couldn't howl? It had to be some sort of gimmick.

"Chop chop, Kimmie. I don't have all night," Shego taunted, further annoying the crimson wolf. It was a strange yet welcomed relief from the guarded Alphas of the Go pack. The shewolf was certain it was an omega trait, being unable to hide one's emotions, but she wasn't going to point it out; it was far too amusing to watch Kim get worked up.

"Can you at least call me by my name?" Kim growled, firmly sitting down on her haunches and slightly glaring at the Alpha beside her. It appeared to have no effect as Shego simply refused, citing some silly reason. Well, it was silly to Kim. With a sigh, the omega shook her head. "Are you always this difficult?"

"I'm an Alpha; I have a right to be as difficult as I please," Shego stated, a smirk on her canine features. Kim just rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Start by showing me what you can do," Kim relented, sensing she would get herself nowhere, save into a mind numbing argument, by pressing the issue.

For a moment, the pale wolf squirmed; this was the part she'd been dreading. Her previously good mood died as she tried her hardest to howl like Kim did. Unfortunately, the sounds she produced sounded _exactly_ like her previous futile attempts, prompting the crimson wolf to grit her teeth. Kim wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or snap at Shego to stop torturing her; maybe the Alpha's inability to howl was sincere. She tried a few more times before the pale wolf's anger got the better of her.

"Damnit!" Shego growled, stalking away from the other shewolf. She wasn't planning on leaving; she just felt better when she could pace. Kim said nothing, simply watching the tense Alpha a moment. Obviously, Shego really couldn't howl, at least not in a pleasant way, and the lack of ability was grating heavily on the pale wolf's nerves. Some part of Kim wanted to laugh at the pacing shewolf but she stopped herself; she still needed the Alpha's help.

"Calm down, Shego. You're getting too worked up over this," Kim gently advised the troubled shewolf, imagining she was speaking to Niqe or Yori, wolves who didn't try to annoy her at every turn. Harsh emerald eyes glared at her, a snarl coming to the pale wolf's muzzle.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Shego snapped, ready to knock the crimson wolf over the head with her paw. "I need to learn to howl!"

"And I'll teach you," the omega forcefully replied, meeting those fiery emerald orbs with her calm olive ones. "But first, you _need_ to calm down."

"I am calm!" the pale wolf snapped again, resuming her angry pacing. Internally, Shego was trying her hardest to reign in her anger but was failing miserably. She wouldn't admit to that though, especially not to the omega.

Kim shook her head, wondering how she was going to teach the angry shewolf _anything_. She couldn't even remember when she started to howl; it was something she'd just known how to do. It was like breathing. How could any wolf _not_ know how to howl? "Fhang help me."

"Who the hell is that?" came another angry snap, the only tone Shego could manage. Somehow, she thought simply being in the presence of the crimson wolf would magically endow her with the ability to howl. It was a foolish hope but she was getting desperate- she already considered herself at the end of her sanity if she was asking an omega for help.

"Are you serious?" Kim frowned, watching the pale wolf come to a standstill. Though she still looked angry, Shego was paying the omega enough attention to show that she, in fact, was being serious. "She's the wolf goddess. You know, the moon?"

Kim jerked her muzzle to the celestial body above, as if the visual cue might jog Shego's memory. Perhaps the Go pack had a different name for Fhang or maybe the pale wolf's anger was muddling her ability to think straight. Instead, Shego snarled, assuming the crimson wolf was trying to make fun of her.

"Stop talking nonesense! The moon is just a big star!"

Kim rolled her eyes, ready to give up on the pale shewolf. Considering she had never given up on _anything_- at least as far as she could remember- that was an accomplishment, especially since they'd barely spent an hour together. Without really thinking about it, the crimson wolf grumbled out a reply that she instantly realized should never have left her mouth. "You don't know Fhang and you can't howl. You're not a real wolf."

-_To Be Continued: Learning Experiences-_


	5. Learning Experiences

**Disclaimer:** Surprisingly, I still own nothing. Go figure.

-Chapter 5: Learning Experiences-

Shego had no verbal reply; she simply launched at Kim, ready to rip the omega's throat out. How _dare_ an omega, any omega, insult her like that! It was unfathomable! However, just as had happened the first time Shego tried a surprise attack on the crimson wolf, Kim danced away with agility the pale wolf had never encountered before. That didn't halt her rage though.

Kim, on the other hand, was mentally reprimanding herself. While she didn't particularly like the Alpha, there was no reason for her to purposefully antagonize the shewolf like she had. She knew Shego was trying her hardest to learn to howl, that it was obviously very upsetting that she wasn't able to, yet Kim had blatantly thrown that back in the pale wolf's muzzle. To atone for that, rather than fight back with any attacks of her own, Kim simply kept herself at a distance, jumping to the side of every lunge, ducking the swiping paws, and avoiding powerful snapping jaws.

Like the night before, neither shewolf backed down, though Shego eventually noticed none of her attacks were landing on the crimson wolf's pelt. She also noticed Kim wasn't taking advantage of the opportunity to attack; she hadn't raised a paw towards Shego as they danced in the moonlight. The fight- if it could be called that- was dragging on longer than the night before too, partly thanks to Kim's renewed energy from the bear meat and in part because it was a one sided affair. Hoping to entice some sort of retaliation, Shego reared up on her hind legs, mentally preparing herself for the crimson wolf's tackle. It never came though; Kim merely dodged the attack like all the others before it.

"What's your deal, Kimmie?" Shego barked, glaring at the omega as her chest heaved from exertion. She wanted to stay angry at the crimson wolf but that was starting to give way to a slight admiration; no wolf, to include her idiotic brother Hego, had ever proven a worthy match. Kim had- _twice_- and this time she didn't even land a blow. It didn't make any sense. Shego's omega brothers were quick too but, even when outnumbering her, the pale wolf always managed to beat the omegas. Why was this one proving such a challenge? As fighting and hunting were the foundations upon which the Go pack prided itself, no matter how much she _wanted_ to loathe the Possible wolf, part of her had to respect the omega's fighting prowess.

Kim bristled slightly at the pet name- she wanted to bite the shewolf's ear off every time she heard it- but managed to keep herself calm. In her mind, while Kim had done nothing to incure Shego's wrath prior to her comment, she was still in the wrong for taking the verbal jab. It was low, especially for her. Drawing herself up to her full height, and sitting back on her haunches to show she was done dodging the pale wolf's attacks, Kim managed her most apologetic tone. "I shouldn't have said what I did."

"That doesn't make it any less true," Shego mumbled, sighing as she sat down too. While still a bit angry, Shego was now having to force down her disgust with herself. Really, what kind of wolf couldn't howl? What it something that she was missing? Shego glanced to the moon and sighed again. Maybe she _was_ missing something. "So who is Fhang?"

Kim blinked a few times, then looked up to the moon, trying to word her answer just right. If she came off as insulting the pale wolf's intelligence, it would just spark another fight. She needed to say it the right way. Then it hit her- the memory of when she posed the same question to her mother, and her mother's response. "Fhang is Fenrir's mate; she is the wolf goddess who accompanies the wolf god through the heavens. She is the moon, just as Fenrir is the sun, the two keeping eternal guard over their children until we can one day join them in the heavens."

"Who told you that?" Shego questioned with a slight smirk on her muzzle. It sounded rather fantastic, so much so that the pale wolf wondered if Kim was being serious. The moon didn't look like a wolf and neither did the sun. How could they be wolves at all?

"Well, my mother did. She is the most spiritual of our pack; she used to tell us the legends and stories every night before we slept," Kim innocently replied, sensing the pale wolf was looking to ridicule her. However, on this, her faith could not be shaken. Though her entire pack had fallen out of the practices her mother usually enforced, they still thought of and spoke to Fenrir and Fhang often. She supposed they could be forgiven for being a little lax; it had been a very difficult year. "Fenrir and Fhang are heavily venerated in the north, where my mother's pack calls home, and she brought the teachings with her when she mated with my father."

"Your mother's a northern wolf?" Shego raised a brow, looking across the plain in complete confusion. While Jugo had attempted to teach her of other packs and their relationship to the Go pack- Shego rarely paid attention to the lectures- the Alpha was certain her mother had never mentioned any wolves from the north; the furthest north the Gos concerned themselves with was the Senior pack, who made their home in the fertile valley off to the northeast.

The crimson wolf nodded, looking out across the grassy plain, wondering for perhaps the millionth time since she could recall what her mother's homeland was like. "She never talked about home too much but, when she did, I got the feeling she missed it. A little, at least."

Shego looked out too, trying to imagine what the other end of the plain looked like. As much as she hated her entire family, it never occured to the shewolf to leave the forest and strike out on her own. She'd heard of wolves, from time to time, leaving the pack to roam, usually slipping west through the Possible's territory. The lone wolves rarely returned to the forest, and those that did had no stories to tell- they usually lost their nerve halfway through the mountains and returned with their tail tucked between their legs. What kind of wolf would venture so far for a mate? The Alpha certainly had no intentions of leaving the forest, no matter what her mate wished. She hadn't even met him yet but Jugo had plenty of stories to tell, picked up from who-knows-where.

The pale shewolf was torn from her internal quandries by a sudden howl that ripped through the night, its origin somewhere in the forest behind them. Both shewolves turned towards the sound, Kim willing back the tears she'd felt sneaking up on her. Hopefully, Shego hadn't noticed, else she was certain to recieve more teasing for it.

Once the howl died, Shego turned her emerald eyes on the crimson wolf. "What was that?"

"Just a general greeting. Something along the lines of 'good evening, my brothers and sisters'," Kim shrugged, trying to place the exact inlfection of the howl. It was slightly familiar as she could decipher the howl's message with relative ease, yet she couldn't place it quite. Noting the slight confusion in her counterpart, Kim nodded towards the forest. "Howls are like a language all their own. Maybe they don't always translate to words- they can convey emotions too- but they are meant as messages, either to other wolves or to Fhang and Fenrir."

"Huh. That explains a lot," Shego mumbled, looking out towards the forest. To her, howling was just another noise a wolf could make, like growling or whimpering. It was loud and annoying; at least, most howls were. The only time Shego didn't roll her eyes at a howl was when Kim howled the night before. Ever since, the pale wolf had wanted to hear the sound again and now she had the perfect opportunity. "Are you going to answer it?"

"Him, totally a male's howl," Kim sighed, guessing how the exchange would go. With mating season fast approaching, male wolves would be howling through out the night for the next few months, trying to establish who was availible and who wasn't. It was instinct and design, nothing more. Turning her muzzle towards the forest, Kim responded in kind, her howl decidedly more powerful now that she was fed and rested. The pale wolf closed her eyes as the notes of Kim's howl drifted on the night wind, the howl again sounding like music to her ears. The only difference being that, while the night before was a string quartet, Shego was now listening to the full orcheastra. Emerald eyes turned on the crimson wolf once the howl finished, a flash of curiosity dancing in those orbs. How could Kim make the noise sound so beautiful? Notcing the confusion, but misunderstanding it, Kim quickly explained herself. "I just returned the greeting. He'll probably answer back in a moment."

"You seem tired all of a sudden. Worn out already?" Shego teased while cocking her head to the side, not too interested in holding a long distance conversation with some wolf she probably didn't know. While she had never paid much attention to the howls of her packmates, the pale wolf was almost certain she didn't recognize the voice. Kim just shrugged.

"More like exasperated. It's close to mating season. I'm pretty sure it's just a lone wolf looking to butter up any availible female so he can join a pack. Happens every year, ya know?" Kim's ears cocked forward as the answering howl came, containing, more or less, the message she was expecting. "After a while, it gets predictable."

"I see," Shego shook herself, processing the events of the night. It had never occured to the shewolf that howling was anything more than a sound wolves made to be annoying; learning it was a language all its own was a bit of a revelation. Learning that there was a wolf goddess, and a wolf god, was also something to note, though she wasn't quite sure how it factored into anything relevant. As the crimson wolf hadn't responded to the last howl yet, Shego opted to ask her question rather than allow the long distance conversation to continue. "So, what does Fhang do, besides stalk us and wait for us to die?"

"Well, she listens to prayers too. Fenrir is silent and can't communicate with us the way Fhang can; that's why wolves howl at night, for the most part. We can howl our prayers to her and she will, in turn, whisper to us on the night wind," Kim finished sheepishly, slightly embarrassed. She'd been speaking like a pup, her voice full of wonder just as if she was listening to her mother's stories again. "At least, that's what my mother always said."

"I... didn't know that," Shego looked up to the moon and sighed. Now that she knew howling served an actual purpose, of some sort, it made a little more sense that she couldn't do it. Faith in anyone or anything besides herself and her teeth just didn't make sense to the pale shewolf. The thought passed through her mind that, with some semblance of understanding she might be able to howl, but it was brushed away. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin the melody ringing in her ears from Kim's last howl with her own pitiful attempts.

"Maybe you aren't the only one. They might not be as well known here in the south," Kim offered, noticing her thoughtful counterpart's silence. The crimson wolf still felt a little guilty for poking at Shego's lack of knowledge about Fhang and Fenrir. While she still didn't particularly like the Alpha, she was starting to see that the wolf wasn't always hostile. Just... touchy on certain topics. _Very_ touchy. Just like Kim was on the matter of her parents; it was somewhat relateable. There was also that nagging thought at the back of her mind that they needed to at least _get along_ or else the lessons might become very dangerous, very quickly. The Gos seemed more keen to fighting- as Rone had pointed out- than the Possibles. Then Kim's ears perked, suddenly wondering if Shego's problem somehow tied into her pack. "Can the rest of your pack howl, Shego?"

"Well of course-" Shego started to snap but stopped. Blinking a few times, she pale wolf sat down and cocked her head to the side, looking utterly dumbfounded. "Actually, I don't know. I've never _seen_ any of them howl, except for my idiotic brother, Hego. I've heard howls from time to time, but I... have no idea who made them, if it was the same wolf or not."

"Maybe that's part of the problem," Kim nodded slowly, thinking back to when she was a pup. The things that seemed so obvious from her puppyhood days were completely lacking from the pale shewolf's recollection, and Kim just knew it had something to do with her student's inability to howl. At least it was a start, something to build on, though the crimson wolf wasn't sure how much tutoring it would take, or even which direction to go. But she had a starting point, and that caused her to smile. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time though."

"Are you always this disgustingly optimistic?" Shego shook her head, but chuckled nonetheless.

"I think you're enough of an annoying pessimist for the both of us," Kim quipped, giving her counterpart a canine smile. Their attention was pulled back to the forest as the wolf from before howled again. The crimson shewolf rolled her eyes. "He's inviting me on a hunt."

"And that's a bad thing because...?" Shego quirked a brow, watching the crimson wolf pull her lips up into a snarl.

"Because I don't know how, remember? _You_ are supposed to teach me how to hunt," Kim glanced at the pale shewolf before realizing she misspoke. She _did_ know how to hunt, just not as effectively as an Alpha. There was no point in correcting herself now; she would just wait for Shego to bring it up.

"I thought omegas could hunt just fine?" There it was, and delivered in so smug a tone, Kim could almost completely go back to her initial intense dislike of the Alpha. Almost; the pale wolf decided to add to her comment before her counterpart could respond. "So, really, I'm not going to teach you how to hunt. I'm just going to refine your techniques." The surprise showed on Kim's face and Shego laughed. Confusing the omega was just as much fun as angering her, the Alpha decided. "That's using _your_ logic, of course. By my count, you still don't know a thing about hunting."

"Like I wasn't expecting that," Kim growled, looking out across the forest while allowing a small grin. She had no intention of entering the forest anyway but, knowing another wolf was about would make her cautious on her trip home, as well as sticking to the ridgeline all the way back to the den. But, as their lesson wasn't over, she would have to keep it in mind for later. "If you're done trying to torment me with teases, we should get back to you trying to howl."

"Not tonight," Shego scowled at her paws a moment. "While I'm sure you're enjoying my misery, I've had enough embarrassment for one night. We'll meet here again tomorrow. Don't be late."

"Whatever you say," Kim rolled her eyes and started padding towards the path home but stopped before descending, looking over her shoulder and inclining her head in farewell. "Fhang keep you, Shego."

Unsure how to respond, the pale wolf just dipped her muzzle in farewell. As the crimson wolf slipped away, Shego looked up to the moon and snorted, still unable to believe that something in the sky could be a wolf of any sort. Still, the night offered the shewolf plenty to think about. Was she the only wolf of her pack who couldn't howl? She was the only one Presgo hounded about it but he was always barking at her for something. All that aside, she now wondered if the reason Presgo was always snapping at Hego was due to what the idiotic wolf's howls were saying. Shego couldn't help but laugh thinking her brother's mating call might actually be some profound insult because the wolf had no idea what he was actually saying. _That_ would be perfect!

After a while, Shego started on her own path home, ultimately deciding that, while they had made no progress on her howling, the night wasn't a complete waste of time. She just hoped they _would_ start making progress soon.

_[To Be Continued: Pack Law]_

Author's Note: And that wraps up the first howling lesson. Because I've been forgetting to do so, I would like to take a quick time out to thank everyone for the reviews, favs, story alerts, and author alerts. I really appreciate the feedback from the reviews and I'm sincerely pleased that y'all are finding this entertaining; I hope I can continue to deliver. Also, big props to Berserkeroo for the premise and inspiration for this story!

Oh, thought I might mention that the names for the wolf god and goddess- Fenrir and Fhang- is a reference to one of my favorite Gundam video games, _Zeonic Front. _The unit the game's campaign follows is called the 'Fenrir Fang' and they were originally stand-in names and were going to be changed before posting. However, I suddenly remembered that, according to Norse mythology, Fenrir is the giant wolf who will, when Ragnarok comes, kill the god Odin and two of his children, who are also wolves, chase the sun and moon chariots through the sky. It made me laugh a little, so I decided not to change them. Little behind-the-scenes for ya.


	6. Pack Law

**Disclaimer:** Concept goes to Berserkeroo, title to Love Robin, and characters to Dinsey. I own nada.

-Chapter 6: Pack Law-

Kim padded back into the den and was not at all surprised to see her packmates wide awake, save for the pups. She ignored the questioning gazes for the moment, settling herself in her usual spot before flicking her ears forward and looking around the cave. Her search ended when olive orbs settled on one slightly nervous golden wolf.

"How much did you tell them, Rone?" though her tone was slightly exasperated, there was a smile on her muzzle. That didn't stop Rone from hiding beneath his paws like a pup, prompting quiet laughter from the rest of the pack.

"We were just curious, Kim," Yori nipped at Rone's ear before turning jet black eyes on the pack leader. "We've never been on friendly terms with the Go pack, so today's events have proven most... curious."

"You know shewolf's got a point," Niqe cocked her head to the side, one eyebrow slightly raised. Her fur was a shade or so lighter than Wade's and richer; her winter coat always came in early. "First, some big, bad Go Alpha delivers us a feast, then you sneak off in the night to meet her? Something's up, so spill; we won't take 'no' for an answer."

The rest of the pack nodded, having already discussed the topic at length. While they trusted their pack leader- their friend- with their lives, they worried for her all the same, knowing their small pack couldn't take another loss. It was hard enough when the pack Alphas failed to return from their hunt last year; losing Kimber would probably disband the pack.

Kim sighed, knowing she was backed into a corner with no easy way out. Choosing her words carefully, Kim started telling her story, omitting Shego's inability to howl and the lessons she taught. As far as her pack knew, she had simply run into the two toned shewolf while searching for the origins of the awful noise. Only Niqe and Rone showed slight suspicion at her tale, though they kept their thoughts to themselves. As soon as she finished, Wade and Felix started in with questions about her hunter's training while Yori asked a few questions about stalking techniques.

The crimson wolf had no answers for them- which they almost didn't believe- but kept the questions in the back of her mind. She doubted Shego would be the kind of teacher fond of questions, but she would ask nonetheless; it would be the beginning of her revenge for the painful howling lessons. Kim's ears perked up at the thought and she blurted out the question before the words bothered checking in with her mind.

"Hey guys, do any of you remember how you learned to howl?"

While the Possible pack laid in their den, quietly conversing, Shego was just making it to the heart of Go territory. So far, she'd run across a few of the omegas wandering the woods, playing in the moonlight like careless pups. The Alphas, if not hunting, were probably sleeping the night away or picking fights down in a clearing they called the Arena, where Alphas were trained to fight. She hoped a fresh kill was awaiting her; her attempts to howl often made her angry, which in turn made her very hungry. The pale shewolf easily padded through the shadows until a familiar, somewhat haughty voice stopped her.

"Oh, look who's back," Mego shifted slightly on the branch he'd somehow parked himself on, gazing down at his sister with a slight glint in his lavender eyes. In the darkness the foliage provided, his usually purple fur looked almost like dried blood to the hungry Alpha. "Enjoy your little trip, Howless?"

"I don't see how that's any business of yours, Mego," Shego growled, fur slightly rising as she glared up at her omega brother. The sickening nickname was no surprise; she'd heard it enough times that it only slightly annoyed her now, just like her father's presence. However, if any of her siblings inherited their mother's ability to know seemingly everything, it was Mego. The thought that her brother might know what she was up to out on the ridge- namely taking lessons from an omega- absolutely infuriated her. "Why are you up there? Did you get scared by your own shadow and treed like a raccoon?"

"I'll have you know tree climbing is a _very_ useful talent!" Mego shot back, returning the shewolf's glare.

"For a squirrel, perhaps," the Alpha jeered, ready to fight. She knew there was nothing to fear from the purple wolf; they both knew the shewolf was stronger and, though he would put on a fine show, the purple wolf knew better than to fight her when she was prepared for it. He would rather attack when she had her back turned. So, she obliged. Rolling her eyes, Shego sighed and turned her back to her brother. "I don't have time for this. Go gloat about your useless skills to someone else."

Shego's ears flicked back at the sound of claws scraping on wood. Whirling around, the shewolf flashed her fangs at the poised purple wolf, her fur standing on end in preparation for the fight. Her little dance with Kimmie hadn't taken as much of her strength as their scuffle the night before, so there was little doubt in her mind that she could send her brother scurrying away, tail between his legs, in a manner of minutes. In fact, she was looking forward to it.

"You two!" Jugo barked, catching both wolves' attention effectively. Mego instantly jumped on the defensive, sinking low on the branch and laying his ears back while jerking his muzzle towards his sister.

"Shego went out to the ridge!" he pled in a pathetic whimper. For perhaps the millionth time, Shego was reminded why she hated omegas. "_I_ was confronting her about her absence!"

"Like Hell you were!" the pale shewolf snapped, leaping as high as she could to try knocking her brother off his precious perch. Unfortunately, he was just out of her reach, leaving the shewolf to glare menacingly up at her brother.

"Enough!" their mother padded closer, throwing a menacing look at her daughter before addressing her treed son. "Mego, go find your father. Tell him I need to speak with him."

With a smug smile, the wolf lept down and trotted off, sniffing the wind for his father's scent. When she was certain he was out of earshot, Jugo looked back at Shego before padding off in the opposite direction Mego had gone. Reluctantly, the pale shewolf followed her mother, not looking forward to the conversation she knew was coming. She did note that they were now heading slightly away from the den, as if looking to avoid any of their packmates.

"Presgo left when the moon rose to speak with the Seniors' Alpha and won't be back until the morning. Even if your brother tries to track him, he'll lose the trail at the river. Mego has the grace of a boulder in the water so he'll either wait there for Presgo to return or, more likely, come crawling back and avoid me until the new moon, or until he finds out something juicy," Jugo tilted her head slightly as they continued weaving through the trees, moonlight playing off their pelts as a slight breeze teased the forest canopy. Slightly surprised, but still guarded, Shego paused for half a step before continuing in the elder shewolf's wake. "At least he has plenty of light to see the way; the last thing I need is for him to break a leg tripping over a fallen tree."

"Would serve him right," Shego growled, feeling no sympathy towards the purple omega. "What makes him think he can correct me?"

"Pack law applies to all of us, Shego, Alpha and omega alike. You ventured outside our territory; if something was to happen to you, we would have no legitimate reason for retaliation," Jugo chided as they entered a small clearing, much like the one Shego used to frequent. It was smaller and with no rock formation, just tall grass that brushed the shewolves' shoulders.

"I can take care of myself," the pale shewolf instantly snapped before reigning in her indignation. Her mother did get rather annoyed when she failed to use her 'manners'. "I'm not some blind pup, Mother. The ridge is neutral territory, claimed by no pack. It's... safe."

"Safe enough for you to meet with the Possible omega without having to kill her for trespassing, you mean?" Jugo raised an eyebrow while throwing a look over her shoulder. The shock glinting in her daughter's emerald eyes made her roll her own cool blue ones. "Oh, don't be so surprised. I followed the blood trail from that bear you killed this morning; it was a logical guess. You're an excellent hunter but you always forget to clean up the messes you make. Blood attracts others, you know that."

Mentally, Shego kicked herself for forgetting something so simple. Now she had to come clean completely or it would be ten times _worse_ when the golden shewolf learned the truth, which she inevitably would. "It was a bit of a peace offering and a display of an Alpha's hunting skills. Last night, I met the Possible omega after they came into our territory; apparently my... howling scared away their prey. We had a bit of a fight and-"

"Fight?" Jugo's ears pricked as she came to a sudden halt in the middle of the clearing and sat on her haunches, turning her attention fully to the pale shewolf. Shego mirrored the action, assuming they'd reached their destination, and sighed. Just as omegas didn't hunt in the Go pack, they also couldn't fight, not with the ferocity of the Alphas; it simply didn't happen. Most of the time, they played at it, like the Wegos, or failed horribly, like Mego. The best omega fighter they had was Ergo, a wolf of maroon hue, and he could be easily beaten by the weakest Alpha, Drago, an older wolf with fur a slightly lighter blue than Hego.

"Yes, fight. She was quick, Mother, and strong enough to put up a decent challenge," Shego realized she'd spoken a ittle too honestly and quickly tried to correct herself. While she could admit Kim was a challenge to herself all day, calling her such in front of Jugo was a different matter altogether. "I was angry- she caught me trying to howl after all- and used it to her advantage. Our little tussle ended in a draw; I had her pinned and just didn't feel like finishing her off."

"I see," Jugo nodded slowly, looking up at the moon. When she looked back at her daughter there was the slightest hint of a smile in her blue eyes. "What happened after that?"

"Her pack called for her and she answered them. I figured, since she could howl, she could teach me," Shego shrugged, trying her hardest to leave out how beautiful the howl was to her ears. Though she didn't appear to be in too much trouble, the pale shewolf didn't want her mother knowing how much she admired the crimson wolf's voice. Or, she silently admitted, the shewolf herself. "So, we made a deal. I would teach her how to hunt if she can teach me how to howl. With the ceremony approaching, I don't have many options left."

"That does sound like a fair trade," Jugo mused, opening her jaws wide in a yawn. "I'm surprised she agreed; they were on a hunt just last night, were they not?"

"Well, yeah, but they didn't make a kill. Kimmie's so desperate to keep her pack alive, offering her hunting lessons was like holding a fresh kill in front of the Wegos when they're hungry."

"Now _that's_ just dangerous," the golden shewolf chuckled. She noted the odd nickname but chose to ignore it for the time being; she knew her daughter well enough to know using a wolf's real name was something the pale shewolf couldn't be bothered with most days. "Do you intend to follow through with your half of the bargain?"

"If she delivers her end of the deal, then yes," Shego nodded, though a voice in the back of her mind seemed to mumble a different answer. The pale shewolf ignored it for the time being. "Pack law dictates that bargains made should be kept, on the honor of the pack. If she violates it first, then I am free to kill her. She seems pretty confident she can teach me though; she's almost disgustingly optimistic." The words were still ringing in her ears, the crimson shewolf's voice stuck there alongside her howl, bringing a brief smirk to her lips. She then remembered the questions that had come up during the lessons and, since they were on the subject, she decided to clear up a few things. "Which actually reminds me, am I the only one in the pack who can't howl?"

Jugo cocked her head to the side, debating on how to answer her daughter. She knew the truth of course- that was her duty- but whether or not to tell that truth was somewhat of a gray area. However, she stayed silent just a moment too long, earning a quizzical, suspicious look from Shego. It was already too late to lie completely but that didn't mean Jugo had to reveal the whole truth, she decided. "You aren't the only one... but I won't tell you who the other wolf is."

"Uh-huh," Shego nodded with a slight smirk to her muzzle. Not being the only one was a small comfort but that only prompted more questions. Who _was_ the other wolf in the pack who shared her problem? Did Presgo know? Why wasn't he hounding someone other than her if he did? Or, why did Jugo keep it a secret if he didn't? There was no use asking those questions- that much she could already tell- but she would ask them another time, if the opportunity presented itself. "Okay, something else: have you ever heard about... wolves called Fenrir and Fhang?"

"My my, you did get quite the lesson tonight, didn't you," the golden shewolf shook her head, glanced at the moon, then settled down in the grass with her head on her paws. "If I recall correctly, it's Fhang and Fenrir, for us. Shewolves are supposedly more in tune with Fhang, so her name precedes her mate's. In the south, we typically venerate them as the First Wolves rather than as gods like the northern packs do, but their memories lie in old tales, long forgotten by most. Annabelle and I had quite the extensive talk about them one summer- the year you were born in fact- while our mates argued about the border."

"Annabelle... is that Kimmie's mother?" the pale shewolf laid herself down, though kept her head raised and alert. It was rare for her mother to speak so openly with her; usually the golden Alpha kept her secrets to herself and gave vague, cryptic advice when asked about something. When she received a nod, the pale shewolf asked her next question, perhaps the most dangerous of all because it wasn't a question in the slightest. "When I start teaching Kimmie how to hunt- assuming she's able to teach me to howl- we will need to cross the border into the forest. I've never hunted on a mountain and it would be a bad time to learn; I have our reputation to maintain and protect and the best way to do that is to hunt where I'm most comfortable."

Jugo regarded the pale wolf a brief moment while she considered how to respond. She wanted to compliment her daughter's argument- it was geared to appeal to the Go pack's pride. However, she was an Alpha first and, with Presgo focused on the alliance, it fell to her to prepare for the coming hardships. It would take more than a jab at pride to sway her mind one way or the other. "Winter is approaching, Shego, and prey is about to get scarce. Can the pack afford your lessons?"

"Yes," the response was instant. While she hadn't thought to ever fully explain herself to her mother before the deed was done, she did have an argument if she and Kim were somehow caught in the middle of one of their lessons. "All I really need to teach her is a deer and a bear. The deer is for practice but once she's hunted bear, she'll be confident enough not to need more lessons. My task finished, the Possible pack will be left to hunt in their mountains and either they'll turn into decent enough hunters and survive another winter or die before spring; either way, we can only benefit."

"That is quite the proposal. I suppose, if the Possible pack were to return to prominance, we could always remind them who they should thank for their full bellies and form an alliance in that manner," Jugo nodded her head slowly, then rose and started to leave the clearing. "I will allow this one exception... but keep away from the others. If Presgo catches wind of this, he will certainly put an end to it. Debt or no, it is a small threat to our survival and that's too big a chance to take. Remember, Shego, self preservation is paramount; the survival of the pack overrides any and all else."

"Even pack law? What about our honor?" Shego cocked her head to the side, watching her mother's retreating form. The golden shewolf stopped briefly and looked back at her pale daughter, a smile on her lips.

"They aren't truly laws, more like guidelines, especially when it comes to staying alive. Really, Shego, if every wolf adhered strictly to the laws, there would be no wars and those experiencing hardship would likely sit quietly in their dens until death took them. _Survival_ takes precedence, and all manner of civility, of honor, is disregarded in the interest of staying alive." Cool blue eyes met emerald green as the evening breeze swept through the clearing. "Remember that lesson, Shego. You'll need it one day."

_[To Be Continued: Senior]_

Author's Note: I'm way behind on this _but_ I should be catching up soon. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!


	7. Senior

**Disclaimer:** Don't own jack, just like I haven't owned jack in the past six chapters. Surprised? Also, sorry this is a little late. I almost didn't wake up for work this morning. *facepalm*

-Chapter 7: Senior-

The moon shone down on the Seniors' open valley, the large expanse consisting of nothing more than a few shrubs and scattered rocks. The evening breeze swept through the grass, lightly playing across the pelts of four wolves as they licked blood from their muzzles.

"I want to hear it again, Senior," Presgo demanded as he stood, his bulky frame dwarfing the other pack leader with ease. The silver and black wolf had adhered to courtesy long enough, in his opinion, having shared a fresh kill with the aging Alpha and the two wolves who would soon be mated to his own offspring. The meal had gone smoothly, with both Junior and Tara exemplifying obedience to their leader's orders. Still, there was something nagging at the back of Presgo's mind that hinted at something Senior wasn't telling him. Perhaps it was instinct or intuition but, whatever it was, it was _strong_.

"Of course, Presgo," the old wolf sighed slightly, his white and silver fur nearly glowing in the moonlight. Just as the Possible pack had fur of a single color, and the Gos had two tone pelts, the Seniors shared the quirk of having three colors, woven together in a predominant pattern. All the Senior wolves had coats of copper with streaks of pale yellow that, with age, faded to silver; the third color, which varied from wolf to wolf, presented in patches on their heads and underbellies. "On the first new moon of the mating season, my son, Junior, will mate with your daughter, Shego, and your son, Hego, will mate with our Tara. Thus, our packs will then be united through marriage."

"And?" Presgo pressed, his eyes boring into the old man like he usually did with Hego or Shego. It didn't seem to have quite the same effect; the older wolf didn't seem even slightly fazed, continuing in the same tone as before.

"And, with the packs united, we will merge together, forming a stronger pack," Senior blinked, pretending to recall all the specifics. "The ceremony itself will take place on the very spot of our new home, on the river, the heart of our new, combined territory."

"I'm not sure I like that," Presgo had repeated the complaint several times through the negotiations. It was one of the many things that had irritated him about the deal, that the Gos would leave their ancestral den at the center of the forest. Vingo himself had founded the Go pack on that very spot and it made the Go Alpha sick that they might move.

"Then we will make the new den wherever you would prefer," Senior automatically answered with a shrug. Truly, it didn't matter to the elder wolf; the union was all that concerned him. "It can be decided once we are one pack, finding a place where we can all live, together."

"Yes, we will find a better spot, _within_ the forest. I can't imagine any of my pack being able to rest so close to a river," Presgo muttered and looked over his shoulder at the line of trees seperating him from his home. "Is that all?"

"Almost," Senior gave a sigh and a small smile. "I insist you become the pack leader for our combined pack. I am far too old to continue leading and our children have much to learn before they take over the duties of pack leader." Both pack leaders nodded to that, with Presgo's mind wandering to the faults he saw within his offspring. He simply couldn't imagine leaving the pack to Hego's control. His son was far too aloof to lead a pack effectively and Shego, though far more capable, would never have the patience to keep a pack running for long. It never occured to him to question Senior's offer; it only made sense to the Alpha that a Go would lead the pack. "Once we are one pack, your enemies will become mine, and mine yours. Though, as you know, I have none, not since-"

"Yes, I am well aware," the silver and black wolf snorted, shrugging off the vieled threat. Proud as he was, the Go Alpha knew very well the threat his pack faced, both in the lack of females born in the current generation and in how fiercely the Seniors fought to expand their territory. Truly, he was concerned for the first more than the second, but it did help make his decision easier. Looking up at the moon smiling down on them, Presgo growled and decided to move on to a new topic. Or rather, an old topic. "The first new moon of the mating season... that's the next one, right?"

Senior chuckled and shook his head. "It's been far too long since I've felt the pull of the seasons, my friend. Has the moon lost her sway over you?"

"It never held me." Presgo spat, turning a heated glare on Junior and Tara. Where his father had white, Junior had a deep black that matched his eyes while Tara had a yellow brighter than the streaks on her pelt. They didn't look like much, in his opinion, but his children weren't exactly perfect Alphas themselves. Some part of him wondered if that was his fault but the thought was promptly ignored. "I will come again when the season starts, to finalize the specifics."

"I thought you were to stay until the half moon? See how the Senior pack is run, if it's to your liking," Senior raised a brow, a slight smile on his muzzle. The Go Alpha shook his head with a grunt.

"I'd rather return to my forest, Senior," Presgo looked over his shoulder, longing for his home. How a wolf could sleep in such an open area was beyond the silver wolf's comprehension. In his mind, Presgo was already deciding how far he would swim downstream, to ensure none of the Seniors could follow his trail. "Besides, as I will be leading the combined pack, the Seniors will bend to the Go way of living. Or they will be broken." Without another word, the silver and black wolf turned to return home, glancing back at the Senior wolves before slipping into the trees.

Senior himself calmly waited a few moments, cocking one ear back as another wolf joined the three sitting in the moonlight. "Please, go and make sure our friend finds his way home, Josh. It would be awful if he... wandered off the beaten path."

"Yes, Sir," Josh nodded, slipping past his packmates to trail the Go Alpha. Like Tara, his hair and belly were a different shade of yellow than the streaks of his pelt, enough so that the two were often considered twins but rarely confused for the other. Assured their visitor would be followed until he was outside their territory, the old wolf turned his attention to his son.

"We are so close, my son," Senior shook his head in disbelief, simply stunned that, when next the moon was full, everything within sight would be under the Seniors' command. From the farthest western mountains to the ancient eastern forest, from the northern ridge to the southern reaches of the Go pack. Once the ceremony united them, even the Go's sister packs would consider them allies. It was perfect and the only left was to wait. "Junior, please go make sure our... guests... are comfortable," Senior smiled slightly viciously as he looked up to the moon. "It would be a shame if they were to die before all our plans are complete."

"Yes, Father," Junior sighed, turning back to pad deeper into the Senior's territory, Tara following close behind. The two wolves tred quickly away from the aging wolf, trying hard not to seem too eager. When they did manage a reasonable distance, their conversation was hushed, hoping they wouldn't be overheard. "He's not following us, is he?"

"I don't think so," Tara glanced back quickly, noting that Senior hadn't moved at all, and sighed. "Are we really going to have to do it, Junior? The ceremony, I mean."

"Father says that the ceremony won't bind us," Junior whispered, still afraid of being overheard. "Shego is not capable of howling at all and Hego is not able to make the mating call. We can't be fully bound to our mates without the howling, he says."

"But _still_, Junior, it's not right," Tara padded faster, cutting off Junior's path to keep him from avoiding the subject. "You _know_ this isn't right, what he wants us to do."

"What choice do we have Tara?" Junior's ears laid flat against his skull. Some part of him knew he should be outraged that his father's judgment was being called into question. However, it was being drowned out by the larger portion that agreed with Tara. Still, he had appearances to maintain. "Father is the pack leader; his word is law."

"Pack leader? Of what pack, Junior?" Tara jerked her muzzle to a spot just off the path from where they were heading, where the Seniors made their den. "There's hardly any of us left after the war against the Yamanouchi."

"But we gained so much territory after that," Junior weakly defended, then sighed, discarding all pretense. "Mostly because there are less of us to live in it."

"Exactly! So, even if we somehow overthrow the Go Alphas, how many are going to be left to enjoy the forest and the mountains?" Tara sat, her voice gentle even as she spoke. She knew that deep down Junior felt the same as her, that he needed no convincing, but she couldn't help but plead anyway.

"I don't know, Tara," Junior finally conceded, coal black eyes scanning the valley, as if searching for the answer. Only the night wind answered him, lightly tussling his fur. Brushing past the shewolf, Junior sighed and shook his head. "I just don't know."

Tara watched the Alpha pad away, his head hung low. After a moment, she followed behind, silence ruling over the pair as they walked a familiar path, taking the bend that led away from their den and towards a small thicket of trees. Two wolves, laying on either side of a burrow opening, picked up their heads as the pair approached. One was a huge omega, easily twice Presgo's size- the Go Alpha was the largest wolf in entire territory- with a deep shade of chocolate brown to his fur. The other, an omega shewolf slightly smaller than Tara, had a lighter shade of brown and a scowl on her face.

"Well? How'd it go?" the omega shewolf demanded, throwing a glare at the burrow opening before settling her gaze on Junior. "When will this be over?"

"Soon, Bonnie," Tara offered with a small, forced smile. "The ceremony is on the new moon."

"Have they been difficult?" Junior inquired, shifting his attention to the other omega, Mike. They used to call him Big Mike when he was a pup, due to there being another Mike in their pack. Now, though, there was no need for specification.

"Nope, been real quiet tonight," the large wolf smiled, jerking his head towards the burrow. "Time for their walk?"

"They could use the fresh air, I'm sure," Junior started towards the opening while Bonnie scoffed.

"They could use more than that," she grumbled, looking to Tara. "Wolves aren't meant to be caged, Tara."

"I know," the Alpha sighed, looking between her packmates, then to Junior, who was peering into the darkness of the burrow. After a few quick commands, he stepped back, waiting for their guests- their prisoners- to emerge. The first to step forward, as per their ususal, was a wolf of pure black, his coat hanging oddly on a thin frame. With proper exercise and diet, the Alpha would probably rival Junior in physique, but, as he had been a 'guest' of Senior's since he was a pup, the former Yamanouchi wolf was barely surviving on the portions Senior deemed fit to feed him.

"Hirotaka," Junior nodded, doing his best to hide his sympathy for the other Alpha. Coal black eyes met his, a spark of defiance still smoldering in them. If he didn't feel an overwhelming amount of pity for the other wolf, Junior would've respected his spirit. It was the only part of him they couldn't seem to control.

"Junior," Hirotaka returned, surprisingly polite. He had tried his hardest to get free when he was younger but, with those failed attempts, had resorted to whatever biting remarks he could manage until he was joined in his exile by the two wolves following him. They kept him from lashing out, not because they discouraged it but because, more often than not, their own comments were far more... potent.

"Good evening, my brother," James greeted Junior, a smile on his face as he limped out of the burrow. The moonlight hit his sandy brown fur, shadows playing across the scar on his right rear leg queerly, as if to remind all present that it would forever mar his otherwise beautiful pelt. Out of habit, Junior winced at the sight, remembering when his father and Mike had drug the injured Alpha to the burrow last winter. James caught the look; just as always, he'd been expecting it. "You don't look well, are you alright, Junior?"

"Fine, James," the Senior Alpha replied with a small smile. He still couldn't understand how, captive as they were, the Possible wolves managed to retain such positive attitudes. Though he tried his hardest not to, Junior put the question he was told not to ask to voice. "How is your leg?"

"The bones are all healed, Junior, though he'll live with the discomfort for the rest of his life," Annabelle answered for her mate as she stepped up beside him, her fire red fur almost glowing in the night. Both Possible wolves looked the worse for wear, their healthy coats starting to take on Hirotaka's ragged appearance as their diet dwindled to whatever Senior dictated they could have. Her bright green eyes, however, never lost their shine. Annabelle continued speaking while nuzzling her mate. "However, with no infection, he will live for however long Fenrir decides. For that, I am truly blessed."

"That is... good," Junior looked away, catching the matching looks of guilt on his packmates' faces. Well, Mike seemed less guilty and more annoyed; he was one of the Senior wolves who completely believed Senior's claim that they were destined to control all the territory they could see. By whatever means necessary.

"Shall we begin, Junior? It's a fine night for a walk," James smiled, looking up to the moon between the trees as he started limping the path out of the thicket. The Senior wolves arranged themselves around their guests, leading them to the usual spot.

There really was no need and the Senior wolves knew that. Hirotaka hadn't ran- truly ran- in nearly a year, his poor diet robbing him of the kind of stamina needed for sprinting away from his well fed captors. James, with his wounded leg, couldn't run at all, and the barely disguised grimaces of pain hinting that even the easy walk was taxing on him. Really, Annabelle was the only one capable of fleeing and, yet, she had never done so. She had even followed Senior and Mike willingly when they took her mate to the burrow; she had refused to leave James' side.

On nights when they didn't have guard duty, the Senior wolves gathered around the latest kill to wonder why any shewolf would subject herself to capture rather than abandon her mate. As Senior was the last mated wolf of their pack- and his mate had died shortly after Junior was born- the young wolves simply couldn't understand the compulsion to weather such conditions simply for another's sake. They also couldn't understand the kind demeanor of the Possible pair. Somehow, through out the duration of their confinement- so far from their own home- the Possible Alphas remained a complete mystery to the Senior pack.

About halfway through the usual course of their evening walk, Tara suddenly stopped.

"Hey Junior, think we could... ya know... let 'em walk on their own for a bit?" the Alpha's blue eyes darted between Junior and the three wolves. After a moment's consideration, he nodded, glad for an excuse not to be so close to their... guests. The Seniors stopped, allowing the two Possibles and Hirotaka to walk on at James' slow pace. As soon as the three were far enough away, they stopped and laid down in the soft grass of the valley, basking in the glow of the moon.

"Is this quiet enough, Annabelle?" James spoke as soft as he could, with a smile on his lips and an ear cocked behind them, listening for the Seniors. As an experienced hunter, the Alpha could smell the uncertainty they provoked in the majority of the Senior pack. Perhaps the only thing they were certain on, when regarding their 'guests', was that they had no hope of escape. Just as it always did, the thought made his smile grow a little wider.

"This will do just fine," the fiery shewolf replied, closing her eyes and lifting her head to the moon. She couldn't howl- it was one of the rules Senior had imposed upon his prisoners- but she had moved beyond the need for purely vocal communication.

The evening breeze swept across the valley, the cool air from the mountains travelling through the trees of the forests before teasing the grass and pelts of the wolves beneath the moonlight. Hirotaka and James lifted their muzzles and watched the moon overhead, enjoying every moment outside the dreary underground burrow. When Annabelle opened her eyes a while later, she smiled at her mate.

"Good news?" James raised a brow. Annabelle simply shrugged, licking his face, before turning her attention to Hirotaka.

"Just some advice for Hiro," Annabelle padded over to the thin Alpha, who watched her with wide eyes. He could remember little of his own mother and father and even less of his pack. For most of his life, all Hirotaka had known was the cruelty of the Seniors. When the Possibles first arrived, he'd treated them the same way he treated the Seniors, but their kindness had broken down the walls he hid behind, and their tales had filled him with hope he had never known. "Be ready to run with the wind."

Hirotaka's jaw opened, his smile growing wide as his tongue lolled out. The spark of hope the Possibles gave him was quickly becoming a raging flame. "So, we'll be free?"

"I didn't say that, Hiro," Annabelle chuckled, nuzzling the younger wolf to calm him down. "Freedom... comes in many forms. Just remember my words."

"But... aren't you coming with me?" Jet black orbs darted between the elder Alphas, both of whom continued to smile softly. "What about you? Annabelle? James? You're coming with me, right?"

"Patience, Hiro, and have a little faith," James assured him, glancing at the mountains he still called home. For a brief moment, he wondered how much the pups had grown, if Jim, Tim and Joss had grown into their paws yet, and how Kim had matured in the past year. He wondered about his pack, the young pups they had left behind in the den that fateful winter day. The evening breeze answered his unspoken questions, softly sighing through his fur and bringing a slight chill with it, one that reminded him of nights when their pack would huddle together for warmth. Despite having his mate with him, James sorely missed his family, his pack. Closing his eyes to keep tears from falling, he laid his head down on his paws as Annabelle joined him. "Trust the wind and have faith."

They spent the rest of their allotted time listening to the wind and admiring the moon.

_-To Be Continued: Worlds Apart-_


	8. Worlds Apart

**Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Disney, the premise belongs to Berserkeroo, and the title was suggested by Love Robin. The delay is all mine though, folks.

-Chapter 8-

The next night, clouds drifted lazily across the sky, periodically plunging the forest and mountains into darkness before illuminating them with moonlight once more. The moon herself, waning with every passing night, seemed to enjoy the game of hide-and-seek.

Or perhaps that was just Kim's optimism playing tricks on her.

The crimson shewolf had been in a great mood all day. With the bear meat still feeding the pack, there was little for the Possible wolves to complain about. The pups- Jim, Tim, and Joss- were playing even more tricks on the older wolves, thriving on the lightened mood their packmates shared. The sensation seemed contagious; Felix had gone for a walk around the mountain, to stretch out his lame leg, and Niqe and Wade had gone for an evening run. Things were looking up, so much so that Kim even looked _forward_ to the howling lesson. She was certain Shego would start making progress soon.

The omega thought back to the night before, when she asked her packmates about their howling experiences. As far as any of her packmates could tell, they learned to howl about the same time they learned everything else; it just came to them, usually when in the grip of a powerful emotion, like happiness or sadness. It wasn't much to go on- certainly nothing solid- but it made Kim think that part of Shego's problem might lie in how she was raised. The omega knew next to nothing about the practices of other packs and, if Shego wasn't the only wolf of her pack who couldn't howl, it would be a viable explanation. However, she couldn't tell _Shego_ that; knowing the Alpha, she would take offense to being considered immature and snap at Kim, even if the omega worded her explanation carefully. Perhaps the pale shewolf would eventually listen to Kim but, truly, she wasn't too keen on upsetting Shego. She liked things a lot better when the pale shewolf wasn't angry with her and she certainly wasn't strong enough yet to fight the Alpha and win.

"You're early this evening," there was a hint of amusement in the tone, enough for Kim to guess there was a smirk on that pale green muzzle. "Your mate didn't give you any trouble this time?"

"Rone is _not_ my mate," Kim growled, shooting a heated glare at her companion as the shewolf sat beside her, apparently unintimidated by the burning olive orbs directed at her. Though Kim had no desire to upset the Alpha, it seemed Shego liked to anger her at every available opportunity. "That's just wrongsick; he's like my brother."

"Like?" Shego cocked her head to the side, slightly confused. A wolf was either directly related or bound to the pack; there was no in between. At least, not in the Go pack. "How is he _like_ your brother?"

"Rone joined our pack when I was young. I've grown up with him, just like the others, and he was raised by my parents. We're not blood but... sometimes I forget that," the crimson wolf sighed, looking up at the moon as it ducked behind another cloud. She wasn't liking where the conversation was heading and it effectively killed her previous good mood. "Sometimes, I _want_ to forget that… and everything else."

"Everything?" Shego quirked a brow as she studied the omega's face, the way her olive orbs sought some answer from the moon above. Something about the crimson omega continued to spark Shego's curiosity and she asked the question before she could think better of it. "What happened?"

"Do you actually care or are you just going to mock me?" Kim growled back, her fur bristling. The Alpha was treading in dangerous territory.

Shego blinked. She hadn't intended on mocking the omega but she wasn't quite sure if she 'cared' either. She was just curious, she insisted mentally; nothing more. "I'm just stalling," she lied, opting to keep her strange curiosity to herself. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if it was partly true. "I'd rather not go through another round of watching you trying not to cover your ears."

The crimson shewolf rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"What?" Shego snapped, glaring at the omega. "Are you saying it's _not_ painful to hear? I'm pretty sure you've already said as much!"

"Yes, but-" Kim stopped suddenly, thinking over the accusation. Yes, the Alpha's attempts _were_ painful to hear… but was that because the sound itself was painful? Or was that what the howl- the strange version of a howl- was actually saying?

"Yes but what, Kimmie?" Shego snarled, circling the omega. It seemed the two were heading for a fight and she was more than willing to land the first blow across the shewolf's muzzle.

Kim's eyes shifted to the irritated Alpha the moment the pet name was used. In some strange way, she was starting to get used to it, but it still caught her attention and annoyed her. She'd set out to try and _not_ agitate the easily angered Alpha and _still_ managed to accomplish the task, getting herself worked up in the process. Things simply _couldn't_ be easy when it came to these lessons. With that in mind, she knew what she'd have to do to calm- or at least placate- Shego. That didn't change how much she disliked it though. "Fenrir cursed the year I was born."

"What?" The Alpha jerked back, startled by the abruptness of the statement as well as the sincerity behind the words. That she'd used the name of the wolf god, as if the omnipotent being actually had it out for her specifically, was strange; during their previous talk, she'd detected no hint of bitterness towards Fenrir or Fhang.

"You wanted to know what happened, right?" Kim sighed again, laying down on the cool dirt. She hated the subject and even thinking about the past caused the pain and sadness to flare anew. But she needed to get both of them back to a less hostile state before the lesson could really begin and the only way to accomplish that was to bend to the Alpha's questions. As the other shewolf simply stared at her, she guessed she was right and continued. "That was the year the winter was harsh and cruel, and it lasted longer than usual. We rarely saw the sun or moon because of the thick clouds and prey was sparse, so much so that the packs had to cross territory lines just to survive."

"Oh, I… I remember that winter..." though no breeze ruffled her fur, the pale Alpha shivered. Memories of that cold, harsh winter filled Shego's mind. She was just a pup, barely old enough to leave the den, but she could distinctly remember the long conversations the Alphas held just outside the mouth of her little home and the smell of anger and fear drifting on the wind. "It was... hard on all the packs."

That much was true. The winter had been terrible for the Gos. Presgo had temporarily moved their den from the heart of the forest to just inside the mountains' shadow, which sheltered them from the worst storms. Shego hated it though; in the dead of night, wolves would howl and her mother would grimace, muttering about the suffering she heard in the voices. For the entire spring after, her dreams were haunted by those awful noises. Most Gos had travelled along the river to join their sister packs in the south after the first moon of storms, deciding to chance the warmer weather. Few stayed behind and, when the spring finally came, fewer returned to the north. To say Presgo was displeased was putting things lightly.

Still, they lost none to the sickness that plagued the mountains that caused the suffering her mother always heard.

Now she felt a little ashamed of herself; there was little wonder that the omega didn't want to talk about such a dismal time. Glancing at Kim- who looked to be waging a war with ghosts long past- Shego shifted slightly before abruptly changing the subject. While she enjoyed teasing Kim, there was nothing enjoyable about the crimson wolf's current state. "Perhaps we should just get started on the lesson. The sooner you start barking at me for doing it wrong, the sooner I can claw your eyes out."

Kim couldn't help but chuckle at the light tone that accompanied the threat as she shook her head to clear it of the memories still too fresh for her liking. At least it was a playful threat; a few moments before, she would've believed it to be more of a promise. Picking herself up, the crimson wolf turned to her companion before sitting again, forcing a smile on her muzzle. "Alright then, let's begin. First, I have a few questions."

"Questions? What is this, an interrogation?" The pale shewolf grumbled, making a show of looking around her skeptically. "Did you bring your pack to come hold me prisoner?"

Kim couldn't help but laugh again; it seemed her companion had an equal knack for aggravating her_ and_ making her laugh. "No, no, nothing like that."

"Good," the Alpha collected herself, looking as poised as possible. "I thought you might have the tubby one sit on me."

"Wade isn't tubby; he's just got very thick fur," the crimson shewolf defended, rolling her eyes at the jab before plunging into her questions. As it was, it appeared Shego wasn't kidding about stalling. "Did you find out if you're the only one of your pack who can't howl?"

Shego frowned, laying both of her ears flat against her skull as her muzzle lifted to the moon. "I asked my mother about it. She said one other wolf can't howl in our pack but _refused_ to tell me who. She's such a bitch sometimes."

Kim had to consciously bite her tongue to hold back the 'well, duh' comment. Instead, the omega decided to turn the tables on her companion and learn a bit more about the pale shewolf. "Do you not get along with your mother?"

"Depends; define 'get along'," Shego chuckled, lowering her gaze to meet Kim's. "Considering I greet every member of my pack with a bite on a good day, I'd say we get along well enough. Better than I do with my father, at any rate."

Ears perked at the distinct, underlying disgust in the Alpha's tone towards the end of her sentence. Obviously, Kim had been right about the Go pack being _vastly_ different from her own family; she couldn't imagine ever harboring such feelings towards any of her packmates. "Okay, what do you listen to when you try to howl?"

"Is that a trick question?" Shego's lips pulled into a slight smile, her fangs glinting as the moon reappeared. It was a subtle gesture of aggravation- in part due to the mention of her parents and the question itself- and Kim wasn't threatened by it any more than by Shego's offer to claw her eyes out. "I'm usually trying _not_ to listen."

Kim laughed, scratching behind one ear absently. "Funny; that's the same thing I do when you howl."

"Oh, ha ha, you're cute," Shego took a lazy, slow swipe at the other shewolf, which was easily dodged. "Remind me again why I don't rip your throat out."

"Because I'm willing to bear your sparkling wit," Kim instantly shot back, a smile on her muzzle. It was slow going but she was starting to understand the pale shewolf, a little. She really wasn't that much different from Niqe, when she was in a teasing mood and the back-and-forth banter was akin to arguing with her little brothers. Except, of course, a lot more colorful than the pups' comebacks.

"Well, that _is_ pretty rare," Shego smirked, cocking her head to the side. Come to think of it, a wolf- any wolf- spending more than a brief time with her was rare. Even her mother steered clear of the pale shewolf under normal circumstances. Sure, they _could_ get along, but it happened only about once a moon, if that. Otherwise, Shego tended to avoid her packmates as much as they avoided her. "I'm not easy to get along with."

"You try to be, don't you?" Shego noted how those olive orbs shone, as though the omega knew some grand secret and was determined to keep it to herself. "You should give them a chance, your packmates. I asked mine when they learned to howl; maybe you should ask yours too."

"Somehow, I doubt _that_ would go over well," the pale shewolf grumbled. There was enough barking from Presgo about her inability to howl; the last thing she'd need is for the rest of the pack to hound her about it as well. "What wonderful insight did your pack give?"

"Not too much, unfortunately," Kim shrugged, hoping she didn't sound as clueless as she felt. There just had to be something about the pale shewolf she was still missing. That didn't diminish her determination to find it but it was a tad discouraging. "Most of them learned around the same time, with the exception of Rone and Yori who learned a bit later than the rest of us. But, all things considered, that's understandable."

"How is it understandable?" Shego cocked her ears forward, raising one brow. When the crimson shewolf broke eye contact to stare at the moon again, she spoke without thinking. "_I_ don't understand it."

"I know," Kim sighed, which was becoming a staple of the lesson as she padded towards the ridge's edge and sat down, her tail softly brushing the dirt. With a jerk of her head, the omega invited the pale shewolf to join her before returning her gaze to the moon. "It was a very hard winter for us."

Shego accepted the invitation and sat beside the crimson wolf, choosing to watch the emotions playing over her muzzle rather than gaze at the moon. Without meaning to this time, she'd turned the conversation back towards whatever had pained Kim so much before. Rather than change the subject, Shego listened, wondering if any of it would help her or if, like the tales of Fhang and Fenrir, it would just be things for her to wonder about idly before she went to sleep.

"Our Alphas had to venture further than usual to gather food, traveling all through the mountains in search of any prey. Most didn't make it back through the storms and those that did were sick and dying from some strange illness," Kim shook her head, thinking of how strong her pack would be if not for that winter. It was fear that the past winter would last too long that drove her parents on their last hunt; winter had become an ill time for the Possibles and every year seemed to hold some new horror. "Another pack that shared our mountains fell quickly to the sickness and the storms. When the spring finally came, my father went to check on them. One pup was left, barely alive and too weak to move on his own. My father brought him- Rone- back to the den, where my mother nursed him back to health alongside Yori."

Shego nodded, for lack of something to say. Finally, she figured out a question, which was posed in a gentle tone. "Which one is she?"

"The black shewolf," Kim supplied, glancing at her companion to confirm a nod of recognition. "The winter brought war to the valley, with the Seniors destroying the Yamanouchi pack in the eastern forest to ensure their survival. One of their Alphas managed to escape the fighting with the only pup strong enough to travel and made it to the mountain's shadow before he died. My mother said she heard Yori whimpering from our den and saved her. I can hardly remember a time without them and for all the differences between us, they're as much family as the rest of my pack."

"I see…" Shego looked up at the moon then, thinking back on her first meeting with the omega. She'd assumed that the crimson wolf was weak due to her omega status but Kim had proven otherwise, which made sense given the very demanding life she'd lived. For the first time in her life, Shego began to wonder what really made a wolf strong, what really made a wolf better than any other. What made a wolf an Alpha or omega? "You have three other packmates, right? The brown wolves?"

"Niqe, Felix, and Wade," Kim supplied, a sad smile on her lips. "Felix is actually the oldest of us; he was born in the fall, a few months before myself. Niqe was next, a few weeks after me. Wade was late- his mother held on the longest after being struck with the sickness- born in mid spring. Together, the four of us make the second to last Possible litter."

"And the last?" Shego lay down next to the crimson wolf. She still wasn't sure why she took such an interest in the omega's pack but she wanted to hear about them, the omega wolves who managed to survive three seasons without an Alpha's help and far more. Besides that, she'd never been too interested in her own pack's dynamics and history, so to be so curious over another pack was… strange. Perhaps strangely pleasant, even.

"My brothers, Tim and Jim, and my cousin, Joss. My uncle Slimmin brought her to our pack just as the winter started," Kim turned a proud smile on her companion, practically beaming. "They're a little small, due to our, uh… food shortage, but they'll start growing once I can hunt."

"I'll bet they're energetic, hunger aside," Shego laughed, thinking of her own brothers. The Wegos, not her elder brothers, who were more like thorns in her paw than anything. The two red and black wolves were always running around somewhere in the forest. "I have two little brothers too."

The crimson wolf tilted her head slightly. "Guess we have a bit in common, for an Alpha and an omega, huh?"

"Guess we do," Shego returned. "You said your cousin and uncle came to your pack shortly before winter. Are there other Possible packs in the mountains? We have sister Go packs in the south though I've never met a southern Go, aside from my mother."

"Well, there _was_another Possible pack deeper in the mountains," Kim glanced back at the mountain and the outlines of mountains beyond the one she called home. "They were killed by a family of bears looking to hibernate in the caves. My mother said it was a bad omen and she was right; my uncle died shortly after he made it to us. That was last winter…"

"Right before your parents disappeared, I take it," Shego received a slow nod for an answer and shook her head. "Storms, sickness, tragedy... it's a wonder any Possibles remain."

"We'll always endure. Anything is possible for a Possible wolf," Kim closed her eyes, remembering the motto her father would whisper right before she went to sleep or loudly proclaim when everyone was awake. She could almost hear his voice too, deep and strong, but it was beginning to fade, with their memories. She had to fight to remember him and her mother. When her eyes opened, they were shining, staring up at the moon, defiant. "As long as we believe in that, have faith in Fhang, Fenrir, and each other, we'll survive. And we'll fight with fang and claw to ensure it." The crimson wolf dipped her head slightly before lifting her muzzle to the sky, her howl resonating through the night air as it always did.

Beside her, Shego was in awe. The previous times she'd heard the omega howl, she'd recognized the sound as pleasant and entrancing; this was worlds different. She could feel the notes through her chest, the pads of her paws and the tip of her tail. She could feel pride, loyalty, determination, and a score of other emotions she understood but couldn't name. And then, in the distance, so faint yet carried on the night wind, voices answered the crimson wolf. Shego could hear comfort, love, happiness. And when the howls mingled- Kim's so loud and the others so faint, yet still mixing together like streams converging to create a river- the pale shewolf could hear only one thing: unity. She must've stayed there, frozen, for a while, trying to process everything she'd heard, she'd felt.

"Shego?" Emerald eyes snapped up to meet the grinning omega's concerned gaze, the Alpha having to shake herself as she stood to regain some semblance of composure.

"I think... I think I… understood some of that," there was no masking the wonder in her voice. For all her pride, Shego couldn't help but feel… a lot of things. "It's like I could… feel it. Inside me. Even your packamtes, I could… feel them too… it was…"

"Strangely liberating?" Kim offered, trying to hide her amusement as best she could. "That's the power of howling. It can be words or emotions, but it's always powerful, always moving."

Shego nodded dumbly, still wrapping her mind around the sensations that just coursed through her. Kim, however, didn't give her much time to recover.

"Now it's your turn," the omega smiled. She could see the change in the pale shewolf's demeanor and hoped it meant that she'd stumbled upon whatever revelation she needed to unlock her own voice. If not, Kim was determined to listen past the typical pitiful howl to hear what the noise was trying to say, if anything. "Try putting what you're feeling into your voice. Listen to your heart and let it flow into your howl."

It sounded ridiculous and Shego had half a mind to tell the omega so. Instead, the Alpha looked to the moon above, back at Kim, then took a breath and tried her hardest. Though it wasn't much consolation, the noise she produced was a little better, a little easier to take, than her previous attempts. But it still wasn't a howl. "Damnit!"

"You're confused," Kim stated calmly, her smile still in place as she watched the Alpha freeze and glare at her, practically itching for a fight. "That's what I heard: confusion, anger, disappointment, frustration."

The pale shewolf deflated almost instantly, a glimmer of hope blooming in her heart. "You actually heard all that?"

Kim nodded, padding over to her companion. "I think, Shego, that your problem isn't that you can't howl. It's just that you don't know what to say."

Shego nodded twice, then blinked. "Wait, what? What does that even mean?"

"It means that maybe you should talk to your packmates," Kim spoke gently, still smiling. Her optimism, though it had diminished through their lesson, was back to full strength now that Shego had shown some progress. It would only be a matter of time before their hunting lessons began. Seeing the slightly disbelieving look the Alpha wore, the omega decided to drive her point home. "Just try not to bite the head off of every wolf who tries talking to you."

Shego rolled her eyes. "I'd like to see you listen to my brothers bickering and _not_try to bite their heads off."

"Careful, I just might take you up on that offer," Kim teased, enjoying her temporary upper hand. By the time the next lesson began, the pale shewolf would be back to her usual, aggravating self, so the omega decided to enjoy the camaraderie while she could. "Tomorrow, same time, same place?"

"Sure," Shego mumbled, thinking hard about actually talking to her brothers for once rather than trying to run them off. It sounded like Hell, but if it would help her learn to howl…

As the crimson shewolf began to softly pad away, the Alpha raised her head and called out to her. When the omega turned her head to listen, Shego spoke.

"For what it's worth… what happened to your pack isn't your fault," her voice was even and calm, emerald eyes steadily holding the olive orbs that seemed to shimmer with hurt.

"I- I never said it was," Kim weakly defended, her tail shifting to between her legs unconsciously.

Shego noticed the gesture but ignored it, offering her typical smirk instead. "You didn't have to… Uh, Fhang keep you, Kimmie."

For a moment, the crimson wolf just stared at her, as if the parting was too confusing to understand. Then she smiled, olive orbs shining once more. "… and you as well, Shego."

_-To Be Continued: A Challenging Invitation-_

Author's Notes: Check out my profile for updates on this and other stories. While I have been on hiatus as far as posting my fics, I have been busy with all sorts of other stuff. If you want to have a say in what story I post next, then vote! As always, reviews are appreciated, be they praise or flames.


	9. A Challenging Invitation

**Disclaimer:** Concept goes to Berserkeroo, title to Love Robin, and characters to Dinsey. I own nada.

-Chapter 9: A Challenging Invitation-

The wind softly sighed through the mountains as the crimson wolf made her slow ascent to the den. Usually, if she was slow to return to the den, it was because the pale Alpha had taken a bit more of her strength and patience than she typically spent in a given day. This evening, however, the pace was due to the parting words they had exchanged and how… comforting they were. Kim had told herself time and time again that the poor luck her pack had experienced wasn't her fault in any way but the words had always seemed hollow, even when her packmates tried their hardest to reassure her. She already knew Shego had no qualms about insulting her so to hear the Alpha absolve her of any guilt was… uplifting. She could almost believe it. Almost.

"Kim?" Rone's voice shook Kim out of her reverie, the concern and slight amusement evident in his voice shining in his eyes as well. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," the crimson wolf replied, smiling at her packmate. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, for one, you were with that Go Alpha again," the omega frowned, watching his friend carefully. Kim merely barked out a laugh, brushing past the golden wolf and padding her way into the den.

"You really shouldn't worry, Rone. Shego isn't _that_ bad a wolf." Olive orbs fell on what remained of the bear meat the pale shewolf had given then a few days prior. Barely any was left. While she knew that wasn't a good sign- a full grown bear should've been enough to feed the pack for a week or more- Kim realized that the entire pack had been gorging themselves when their stomachs allowed it. At least they would be strong once the winter chill began to set in, when the wind sweeping down the mountains could cut straight through their fur.

"Kim!" the pups tore the omega's attention away from the meat, bounding up to the crimson shewolf with renewed vigor. The first few days of food, the three youngest wolves had slept most of the time they weren't eating and seemed rather keen and making up for their lack of activity. With a twinge of pride, Kim noticed the three were getting bigger; they weren't the size of a typical year-old wolf but they were starting to grow, that's what counted.

"Jim, Tim, Joss, did you three behave while I was gone?" Kim smiled, watching as all three of the pups laid their ears back and made their eyes as big as possible, a slight quiver on their lips.

"Mostly," they answered in unison, wincing when Yori barked out a laugh.

"And just how does pouncing Niqe in her sleep count as 'mostly' being good, little ones?" the black shewolf grinned when the pups began nervously eying their sibling, tilting her head to the side. "Or when you scared Wade?"

"Scared Wade?" Kim's ears perked at the mention of the chocolate wolf before her gaze fell on the three guilty looking wolves in front of her. "What did you three do?"

"We told him the Go Alpha was coming," Joss offered with a weak smile while her cousins shrunk back, their tails tucking between their legs. Olive orbs scanned the den, noting that no one, not even Rone, was meeting her gaze.

"We heard you talking about her last night," Jim softly explained, shuffling back a few steps when his sister's eyes fell upon him.

"We didn't think we'd scare him that bad," Tim continued, mimicking his brother's reaction when Kim's gaze shifted to him.

Silence reigned in the den for a few moments before Felix spoke. "Niqe followed him out; it wasn't that long ago so they should be back soon."

"Right," Kim sighed, lowering her head to nuzzle the small wolves still cowering from her. "You three shouldn't cause so much trouble. Winter's coming and we need to stick together."

"We know," the three chorused, ears drooping slightly.

"And Shego isn't bad," Kim continued, ignoring their acknowledgment. "She might be different from us but she's not a bad wolf." The shewolf thought for a moment, choosing to be honest with her packmates. "Okay, so she can be a little mean and blunt sometimes, but that doesn't mean she's bad. Just… a little different."

"Can we meet her?" Joss asked, her tail wagging enthusiastically as her ears perked up, the purpose of the lecture forgotten. Jim and Tim followed suit, backing their cousin's question.

"Uh… maybe," the crimson shewolf balked, not quite sure how inviting the proud Go Alpha to the Possible omegas' den would work out. "If it ever comes up, I'll be sure to ask."

The grown wolves exchanged worried looks; the thought of an Alpha in their home wasn't nearly as appealing to them as it was to the excitable pups.

Meanwhile in the forest, a lone wolf stalked through the shadows, her nose twitching.

"Someone must be talking about me," Shego mused as she made her way back to the Go den. In her mind, she was thinking over the advice Kim had given her, weighing it against her knowledge of her own pack. Perhaps she could stand to at least be congenial towards other wolves rather than trying to run them off the first chance she got. The only wolf she was even halfway civil towards was her mother, and that was rare itself. But when they _did_ talk, it wasn't _that_ bad.

A twig snapped somewhere off to her right, her ear flicking in its direction half a second before she dropped to the ground, two shadows passing over her and crashing into the brush lining her path. Shego had to roll her eyes; leave it to her younger brothers to try a sneak attack while she was trying to think.

"You realize you two will never surprise me, right?" the Alpha suppressed a laugh as the omegas spat out dirt and leaves, shaking themselves furiously to dislodge the bigger chunks of debris.

"But we can keep trying!" One of the red and black wolves replied, lolling his tongue out in an obvious display of amusement.

"Yeah! It's fun!" the other Wego nodded, shaking himself again. Shego had to chuckle at that; the two wolves seemed intent on never growing up.

Their mission failed, the Wegos turned to bound off into the moonlight when their sister stopped them. Of her brothers, the two pups were the easiest for her to stand; if she was going to at least test out the omega's advice, she might as well start with them.

"Can… can the two of you howl?" the Alpha cocked her ears forward, rather intent on hearing their response. The red and black wolves seemed surprised for a moment before chuckling in unison.

"Well, yeah," they replied before lifting their muzzles to the sky and demonstrating their ability. Shego noted how the sounds seemed familiar, non-threatening, but were not quite like Kim's howl. She could hear… things, intangible things like energy and childishness, but the notes didn't sound as beautiful as the omega's. When they died out, two sets of fiery orbs watched their sister. Some of the energy left them then, exchanging questioning glances before their ears drooped. The two looked ready to bound away. "Ha-have you learned how to yet?"

The Alpha bristled, and had it been a week prior, she would've bit both of her brothers for reminding her about her short coming. The urge was still there but dulled by something she couldn't explain. Instead, she offered a brisk reply, turning her gaze to the moon above. "No. Not yet."

"Well, you'll get it soon I bet," one offered hesitantly, watching for any movement from the pale Alpha. Both wolves were still expecting their sister to lash out at them at any given moment; they just weren't sure when it was coming.

"Yeah, I mean, you're the best Alpha ever! You gotta get it!"

"Best Alpha ever?" Shego cocked her head to the side, watching her brothers carefully. When they both eagerly nodded, and she couldn't smell any deceit on the wind, the pale Alpha questioned them on what, exactly, made her the best Alpha.

"You're the best hunter."

"And tracker."

"And fighter."

"And you're not an idiot like Hego," the Wegos finished in tandem, having switched off with every line preceding their final attribute. Shego had to laugh again, mentally noting that maybe- just maybe- Kim had a point when she suggested that the Alpha should actually talk to her packmates. "Plus, you're the best sister, like, ever."

"Oh?" The last one surprised her. Sure, she was the Wegos _only_ sister, but it didn't sound like they were giving her the title simply to avoid having their paws bitten off. They seemed sincere. "Well, since I _am_ the best sister, I think you two need to learn a very important lesson."

"To leave you alone?" The Wegos dismally supplied, thinking they had annoyed their sister enough for one night. They were completely surprised, however, when the normally cranky shewolf shook her head.

"You two need to learn how to _stalk_," Shego whispered, smirking when the pups' eyes lit up with excitement, their tails wagging enough to shake their entire bodies.

"Really?"

Shego nodded. "Really."

With only the moon to guide him, Mego sulked through the shadows of the trees, stopping every now and then to shake himself, convinced the water was still clinging to his fur. A whole day lying out in the sun and he _still_ didn't feel dry.

"'Go find your father' she says. Oh, I followed him alright, straight into a river!" the purple and black wolf growled, shaking himself for what felt like the thousandth time that night. "What am I? A fish? Who goes into a river anyway? If I had half a mind-"

Mego suddenly stopped, his ears flicking all around. He thought he'd heard something but he'd been hearing things all day and night due to the water still in his ears. Shrugging it off, the omega walked on, still growling to himself.

"Stupid Shego, running off like she owns the whole world. If it wasn't for her, I'd-" There is was again, a soft rustle. But the wind was blowing; it could've been the trees swaying.

"Stupid forest, playing tricks on me," he growled low, slinking between shadows as he continued towards the Go den. A nice, long nap in his den would surely lift his spirits. Then, he could find Jugo and tell her that-

The purple wolf stopped, squinting at the path ahead. He was certain he saw something move, something not touched by the wind. Slowly creeping forward, the omega kept his eyes glued to the spot where he'd seen the movement. A few more feet, and he'd be within lunging range. Whatever it was, he was going to have the upper hand.

Then, just as he prepared for his attack, something struck him from the side, bowling him over. Whatever it was, it was _big_. Fearing for his life, the omega leapt to his feet and began running through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. In his panic, he never heard the trio of laughter ringing out in the night air.

"Tha-that was pretty, aha, good, pups," Shego managed between bouts of laughter, watching the two red wolves roll around on the ground, not having moved much since they'd attacked their elder brother. Little tears streamed from their eyes, gasping for breath in between fits, and only regaining their feet once the laughter had, for the most part, subsided.

"Can we go scare someone else?" one Wego begged, bouncing around in front of the pale Alpha.

"Yeah, like Hego?" the other mimicked his brother, lowering his chest to the ground while his tail sailed through the air eagerly.

"No, not yet. As much as I _hate_ to admit it, Hego is a decent hunter. You'll need practice before you can scare him," Shego cocked her head to the side. "I know what you can do to get practice, though."

"What?" the pups spoke in unison, still bounding around excitedly.

"Try to catch squirrels."

The playful movements stopped for both of the red wolves as they blinked at their sister. "Squirrels?"

"Yes, squirrels. That's what I started on," the pale Alpha lowered her muzzle, whispering the 'secret' to her youngest brothers. "See, if you can sneak up on a squirrel, you can sneak up on a rabbit. And if you can sneak up on a rabbit, you can sneak up on an alert Alpha."

"Whoa," the Wegos exchanged awed looks, their tails resuming their rapid wagging. "And then what?"

"Well, if you can sneak up on an alert Alpha," Shego explained, lowering her voice even more. "Then you can sneak up on a deer."

"And then?"

"Oh, you want to know the biggest one, don't you?" the pale Alpha made a show of looking around, ensuring no other wolf was listening in on their conversation. "If you can sneak up on a deer, then you can sneak up on a _bear_."

"A bear?" the two omegas practically yelled, instantly quieting themselves when their sister shushed them. In the back of their minds, the two pups wondered what had changed their sister so drastically; she hadn't been this, well, conversational in ten seasons, at least, which was as far back as they could remember.

"That's right," Shego smirked, nudging her brothers in turn. "Now go practice on squirrels. Let me know when you catch… four each."

"Okay!" the two omegas eagerly bounded off, crashing through the underbrush of the forest as they began their 'hunt'. Yet again, Shego found herself chuckling at her brothers' antics. Okay, she conceded, Kimmie _definitely_ had a point when she suggested not biting the head off every wolf to cross her path.

The pale Alpha eventually made it to her den, having crossed no other Go wolves on her way, and settled down to sleep.

For the first time in a long time, she dreamed. A pure white shewolf with a scar over one eye called to her from the other side of a wide river, surrounded by wolves. There was no scent on the light breeze and Shego couldn't tell if they were Alpha or omega. The colors of their fur shifted and swirled, making it impossible to tell their pack. Yet, Shego got the distinct impression that she knew each of the wolves looking at her from across the river, could call them by name, though the words escaped her. The white shewolf called out again and Shego moved towards the river.

"Shego…" Her father called out, hidden in the shade of the tree line behind her. The Alpha looked a bit bigger than in real life, a snarl on his muzzle as he stared at his daughter. On some level, Shego realized she'd had the dream before, a strange sense of déjà vu, and usually she would pad towards the trees after her father's call and the dream would end there. This time, however, Shego looked back to the shewolf who promptly called out, the notes holding longer than before.

Did the shewolf always howl? Shego couldn't remember.

Beside the white shewolf, one of the other wolves took a definitive shape, her fur becoming a familiar crimson with gleaming olive orbs. The crimson wolf called out, beckoning Shego across the river. Shego took a few hesitant steps, her ears lying flat against her skull as a shadow fell over her. A look back proved the presence was her father, far larger than even his previous dreamself, his jaws opened and ready to bite.

"SHEGO!"

The pale Alpha started awake, panting as her fur stood on end. Whether it was from the dream, which was beginning to fade from her mind, or the twin bundles of energy barreling into her, she couldn't be sure.

"Couldn't you two find a nicer way of waking me up?" Shego snapped, shaking herself in an effort to shrug off the fear that had gripped her so powerfully. The Wegos gave her sheepish grins, hunching their shoulders slightly. After a moment to compose herself, the pale Alpha turned wary eyes on her brothers. "What's so important you two thought trying to scare me was a good idea?"

"We did what you said!" One started, the other promptly picking up the train of thought. "Come and see! Please Shego!"

Shego blinked, her jaw dropping slightly. "You two stayed up _all night_ hunting?"

"Yeah!" the Wegos shouted in unison, wagging their tails enthusiastically while lolling their tongues out. If Shego hadn't been so surprised, she might've found the display endearing. "Come see!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" the shewolf followed her brothers out of her den, padding after them and stifling a yawn or two. Most of the pack was milling about, which Shego found odd considering the wolves typically tried to avoid her when possible. That they were watching with such intensity caused the pale Alpha to be on her guard.

"See! We did pretty well, huh?" One Wego beamed while the other bounded to the other side of their prize pile. A quick glance confirmed nine squirrels and three rabbits lying in the heap, a few with clumsy, messy bite marks and the rest sporting much more efficient wounds. The pups had learned quickly.

For a moment, Shego just stared. When she'd given the pups the quota of four squirrels each, she'd thought it would take _at least_ a week for them to manage it. How they managed to graduate from squirrels to rabbits in one night was beyond her imagination.

"We know you said four," one pup suddenly offered, both sporting drooping ears at their sister's lack of response.

"But we didn't want to wake you…"

"And we were having so much fun…"

"Are you mad?"

Shego snorted and shook her head, leveling a genuine smile at her younger brothers. "Mad? No, a little impressed, perhaps. Maybe a little jealous too." Shego smirked as the pups' eyes lit up, obviously trying to restrain their mirth at the compliments. "_However_," the Alpha had to put effort into not laughing as the Wegos nearly stopped breathing in their shock. "You shouldn't hunt every night. Or so many in one night."

"Oh…" The Wegos looked at each other briefly, confusion splayed across their muzzles, until one perked up.

"Right, because then we'd run out of food!"

"Oh, yeah, we only kill what we need to eat!"

"So, are either of you two hungry?" Shego raised a brow at the pups, who just looked at each other and shrugged. "Do you know what you're supposed to do if you can't finish a kill?"

The Wegos were silent a moment, then shouted in unison: "Bury it!"

As the pale Alpha and twin omegas continued their impromptu post hunting lesson, one wolf watched them intently from his place on a nearby rock, a sneer on his maroon muzzle. Above him, a light blue and black wolf dozed lightly in the sun.

"Can you believe that? Omegas hunting? What a disgrace!" Ergo growled, his fur standing on end as the three wolves set about burying the puny kills from the night before.

"You're just jealous, Ergo," Drago lifted his head enough to watch the siblings a moment. "Have you tried hunting?"

"I'm an omega; I'm not supposed to hunt," the maroon and black wolf shot back, glaring daggers at the Wegos, his gaze eventually shifting to Shego. "What sort of Alpha teaches omegas to hunt? Has she no pride?"

"Now you're just being petty," Drago yawned, settling himself into a more comfortable position. "Does the prospect of change scare you so badly? The seasons change, the wind, the sky, the ground even; everything changes."

"What of pack law?" Ergo snapped, glaring over his shoulder at the Alpha. "What of our way of survival?"

"The way of survival that has us merging with another pack?" Drago laughed. "You're absolutely right; a flawless plan indeed."

Shego nosed the dirt covering the last rabbit and cocked her head to the side. "How did you two manage to make so many kills in one night? Half the night was gone when I left you and it's barely past dawn."

The pups exchanged small, nervous smiles and ducked their heads again. "We, uh, kinda cheated."

The Alpha blinked. "How do you 'kinda cheat'?"

"We worked together," one Wego supplied while his twin shrugged.

"We're not big enough or fast enough to get them on our own, so we worked together."

"Then, we're twice as fast!"

"Huh," Shego sat, her tail swirling the dirt slightly. Go Alphas always hunted alone, never together; otherwise, it would be hard to tell which wolf was the best hunter. The shewolf herself had killed a bear on her own, a testament of her own prowess and skill… but she was bigger and stronger than Kimmie. Perhaps omegas needed other omegas in order to hunt… but they could still hunt. "So, think you're good enough to sneak up on Hego now?"

"Yeah!" the pups nodded, wagging their tails. Idly, Shego wondered if the appendages would fall off one day from their constant excitement but allowed it to pass.

"Go get some sleep, Wegos," the Alpha laughed, looking around and whispering the rest. "Try it tonight and tell me how it goes."

The pups nodded and lunged forward, barely missing as their sister jumped over the surprise attack. After a few moments of trying to tag their sister, which ended with a playful nip to their ears, the Wegos bounded off for their own little cave. Shego watched them go with a soft smile and made a mental note to actually thank the crimson omega that night when their lessons began again. Not beat around the issue like she preferred but actually thank her.

"Seems your late night hobby is extending to the day time as well," Jugo spoke softly as she sat beside her daughter. The two Alphas stayed silent a moment before the elder shewolf nudged her daughter. "No witty retort?"

"I can't deny it," Shego shrugged, then looked at her mother. "And I shouldn't. I think the omega actually knows what she's talking about. At least, on some things." Mother and daughter sat in silence a moment before Shego cleared her throat. "She says I'm making progress."

"And since when have you valued the word of an omega?" Jugo raised a brow.

"It's a recent development," the pale Alpha replied with a smirk. "And it only applies to the ones who prove themselves."

The golden shewolf stared at her daughter a moment before nodding, a soft chuckle escaping her attempt to quiet it. "Then it's all for the better, I think. I'm just glad to see you in a better mood. You've been rather… cranky the past few moons."

"It's just this stupid Mating Ceremony," Shego sighed, her smirk sliding into a pointed frown. "Presgo… the whole pack is relying on me. And I have to deliver… and if I don't-"

"It's a heavy burden…" Jugo smoothly interrupted, looking around at their packmates. Most were enjoying the cool morning air and sparse sunlight dancing between the leaves. "Alphas always bear the heaviest weights upon their shoulders."

The image of a troubled crimson omega popped into Shego's mind then, an omega who had faced much worse than a silly ceremony and continued to fight. "Not just Alphas," she mumbled before giving her mother a small smile and standing. "I'm going to get some sleep. Had a long night and I'll bet it'll be the same tonight. Fhang keep you, Mother."

Jugo blinked as her daughter began to pad away, probably never consciously recognizing what she'd said. The golden Alpha smiled softly. "And you as well, Dear."

Shego slowly made her way back towards her den, ignoring the glare coming from the omega, Ergo, perched on his rock. She'd noticed him glaring at her and the Wegos earlier but brushed it off; he wasn't one of the omegas to earn her respect. He could- and would- be ignored.

As Shego reached her den and resumed her sleep, Drago slid down off his rock to pad over to Jugo.

"She's grown into quite the shewolf," the light blue Alpha sat next to the golden shewolf, a slight smile on his lips. "Headstrong as her mother…"

"And about as dense as her father," Jugo sighed.

"That bad?" Drago raised a brow until Jugo nodded, snorting as the shewolf rolled her eyes. "Has she been able to howl yet?"

"No, but she's… making progress… which is more than I can say for Presgo."

"I've noticed he's become a bit more… gruff since the arrangements were made."

"That's one way of putting it," Jugo sighed. "Hego and Shego are trying so hard to live up to his expectations. I fear what will happen if they don't."

"These are dark times," Drago looked at the light blue sky, squinting against the sunlight streaming through the trees. "Illness, war, starvation… wolves who can't howl… the seasons grow grim. I fear Senior's greed will not be sated once our packs are joined. He will reach into the mountains next, to the south, then the north. A mad hunt for power that will drag the whole pack into ruin… and us along with them… he has forgotten we are _all_ one pack."

"Fhang and Fenrir's pack," Jugo nodded before turning to the older wolf with a sly smile. "I didn't think any northern Go wolf remembered the old tales."

"Sometimes, it's better to feign ignorance, especially with Presgo's pointed objection to the wolf gods," he sighed and shook his pelt. "Still, each of us is as much a wolf as the next, despite our flaws and sometimes because of them. It's not my place to judge him on his beliefs, no matter how I disagree with them."

"I didn't know you were so devout," Jugo sighed. "You remind me of Annabelle."

"I wouldn't if you had met her when she was younger," the older wolf laughed. "When she was barely older than Shego is now, Annabelle had the knack for practical jokes that the Wegos do, and she would have every pack from the furthest reaches of the western mountains to the eastern forests howling in frustration. Always harmless, little jokes, like stalking the Alphas or knocking a beehive out of a tree. She could do a very convincing bear call too."

"I'm sure her pack was thrilled by her adventures," she smirked, trying to imagine how the calm shewolf she'd known could have been so wild in her younger seasons.

Drago hesitated a moment, eyebrows furrowed, before he understood. "That's right; sometimes, I forget you're from the south. Annabelle had no pack before her mating." Jugo raised a brow and the older Alpha continued, settling down on the dirt. "There's an old tale about Fenrir and Fhang, that they will look upon the packs of the land and become displeased. They will send sickness and ill weather; they will take prey from the land and water from the rivers. Finally, when the wolves of the land have seen and felt the error of their ways, they will send to the lands a wolf of no pack, with fur made of fire. Once upon the land, the fire wolf will become two, and one will start in the east while the other in the west, and they will come together. When they meet, all the packs will start anew, and peace will come to all wolves once more."

"And you believe this old tale? That Annabelle is a wolf of fire?" the golden shewolf stared down at Drago who shrugged.

"Some days I believe it more than others, but it is hard to argue the facts. The past few seasons have been hard and of all twelve packs that once held territory in this land, only two wolves with red fur have ever existed: Annabelle and Kim, mother and daughter, Alpha and omega. No pack ever claimed Annabelle as theirs, until she mated with the Jim- James of the Possible pack."

"Annabelle died last winter," Jugo sadly stated. "If she was a wolf of fire, that fire has died."

"I don't believe that. I've known Jim since we were both pups; there's no way he would let himself get killed off in a storm, of all things. Stubborn as any wolf I know, Annabelle too, and smarter than most. They're both alive- somewhere- I'd stake my pelt on it."

A smile tugged at Jugo's lips as she remembered her daughter's comment on the Possible omega's 'disgusting optimism'. "Are all followers of the wolf gods so optimistic?"

"Oh, no, of course not, Jugo," the older Alpha laughed, turning gleaming black eyes on the shewolf. "We simply have faith."

The moon was already risen when Rone stirred, blearily looking around the den to see what woke him. His nose was the first to realize the difference; the scents had changed. Kim had probably left to make her nightly meet with the Go Alpha and her scent had died out. Sure enough, the crimson wolf's spot was vacant. Rone smiled softly, hoping his friend was alright, and gazed around the den before settling back into his sleep. Niqe and Wade were curled up in their usual places, Felix stretched out by the dwindling bear meat, and Yori was softly slumbering beside him. All except Kim and the pups were accounted for, time to-

Rone blinked hard and shook his head, scanning the den once more. The second sweep confirmed that the pups were nowhere in sight and their scent was faint, as if… as if they'd left shortly after Kim.

Springing to his feet, the golden wolf began to rouse his packmates, all the while thinking: "Oh, Fenrir help us!"

Out on the ridge, Kim was admiring the moon beside Shego, the two having stared at the waning celestial orb for a while. It was calming, the light breeze ruffling their fur and the tranquility of the night. So peaceful- and Shego so amiable when she arrived- that the crimson shewolf was hard pressed to break it.

"I took your advice, Kimmie," Shego suddenly spoke, offering her companion a smirk. "I talked to my little brothers, taught them how to hunt squirrels and rabbits. They're… not as bad as I always make them out to be."

"What are their names?" Kim turned to look at the pale shewolf. "You've only mentioned them once to me. And never have you mentioned them being 'bad' in any sense."

"It's mostly in my head, since I don't talk to other wolves much," the Alpha chuckled. "They're the Wegos; twins, like your brothers. Look the same too, which is rare in the Go pack, and they're never apart. I've always wondered what will happen when they grow up, find mates of their own… as much as they act like one wolf, I doubt they'd want to share a mate, much less a name."

Kim laughed, Shego joining in after a moment. "I guess I shouldn't laugh… my pack is very… weird about names."

"How so?" the pale shewolf cocked her ears forward.

"Well… remember how I told you my name is Kimber?"

"But you go by Kim," Shego couldn't help but smirk. "And Kimmie to me, right?"

"Right," the crimson shewolf rolled her eyes. "Well, it's only until I'm mated. Then, I'll go by Kimber."

"I'm not following."

"It's a Possible tradition; we go by short names when we're young and our full names once we're mated," Kim looked up at the moon. "My father was 'Jim' until he met my mother. Then, he started going by 'James'."

"Huh," Shego looked up at the moon as well. "All your packmates have two names, a short and long one?"

"No, I'm pretty sure Rone and Yori don't, since they weren't born into the pack, but all the rest do. I'm pretty sure Felix will never mate because of it," the crimson shewolf noted the curiosity directed her way from the corner of her eye. "His full name is Felicia."

"Wow, harsh."

"Yeah, his mother swore up and down he would be a little shewolf. We used to tease him about it."

"Ah, so there is a ruthless killer beneath that furball exterior," Shego nodded solemnly until she was shoulder checked by the omega. With a goofy grin, the two laughed. It felt good, she conceded, joking with the omega. "So, are we going to get the howling lesson started?"

"If you insist," Kim shrugged. "Personally, I'd rather my ears don't fall off."

"Well, I'll try to accommodate that request," the Alpha teased. "No promises though."

The two shewolves faced each other, the Alpha taking in a deep breath. Before she could try howling, though, a twig snapped, and both shewolves whirled to face the sound, teeth bared and fur standing on end. The sound had come from downwind but still, Shego thought, no wolf should be able to sneak up on her, a trained Alpha. Likewise, Kim was cursing herself for not paying more attention. Creeping forward silently, the shewolves kept all their senses on alert, waiting for another clue as to where their stalker was hiding.

The Alpha and omega exchanged a quick glance, each agreeing to go around a large rock. As Kim snuck around the left side, Shego took the right, catching the faintest glimpse of movement. Without hesitation, she pounced…

… and came face-to-face with three terrified pups, two of whom promptly yipped their terror while the third actually had the audacity to bare her tiny fangs at the Alpha.

"Jim! Tim! Joss!" Kim cried once she made it around the rock. "What are you three _doing_?"

"These are yours?" Shego dropped her aggressive stance, cocking her head to the side as she examined the three Possible pups. Now that she had time to notice, the three did have the shades of brown associated with Kim's pack. However, she had no idea the latest generation of Possible wolves were so… small. Given what Kim said about their birth, the three should be at least the size of the Wegos. The pups were closer to half that.

"Yes, and they _shouldn't be here_," Kim leveled a severe glare at the three, barely keeping her fangs from showing. "What were you three thinking? The entire pack is going to be worried sick!"

"We just wanted to see the Go Alpha!" Joss weakly defended.

"Well, now you see me," Shego gave them a vicious smile, displaying all her teeth. Her view was almost instantly obstructed by a crimson pelt. "It was a joke, Kimmie."

"It's not funny," the omega growled, placing herself fully between the pups and Shego. Again, the Alpha dropped her stance, sitting back on her haunches and lolling her tongue out, her best impression of the Wegos she could manage. She figured that, if she couldn't take the energetic pups too seriously, Kim couldn't take her too seriously either when looking like that. For the most part, it worked. Kim's fur smoothed out a little, her attention turning back to the huddled pups behind her. "Explanation, _now_."

"We-we really just wanted ta-to meet the Go Alpha," Joss laid her ears flat against her skull and tucked her tail between her legs, a position her cousins had already adopted. They'd never seen Kim so angry.

"Kimmie."

"What?" the omega snapped over her shoulder, her glare never really leaving the trembling pups.

"Kimmie, look at me," Shego waited until the omega looked at her before continuing. "They think you're mad."

"I am mad!" Kim snapped, whirling to face Shego. The Alpha didn't even flinch.

"Maybe a little, but you're more scared than anything else," the pale shewolf calmly explained, making a show of sniffing around the crimson omega. "I can tell by your scent, Kimmie. They probably can't, but I can." Shego carefully padded around Kim, looking at the three pups. "You three understand that what you did was very dangerous, right? You're a long way from home and if _anything_ had happened to _any_ of you, she would've felt responsible."

"_Responsible_?" the crimson shewolf shook her head. "I would've- If anything- I'd have-" Kim stopped, shaking herself and taking deep breaths as the anger- and fear, along with a myriad of other emotions- passed. "Please don't _ever_ do anything like that again," the omega dropped her muzzle and nuzzled the pups, all of whom reciprocated the affection.

"We're sorry, Kim," the pups spoke in unison, their posture relaxing ever so slightly. Shego looked on, part of her wondering… a lot of things. Something must have shown in her face.

"Shego? Are you alright?" Olive orbs gleamed with concern, accompanied by three other sets of eyes.

"I just, uh…" the Alpha sighed, looking up at the moon. "My brothers wandered off one day when I was younger. I didn't think much of it… but my mother was losing her mind. I never even worried…" Shego scoffed, shaking her head. "Some sister I am."

Shego's fur instantly stood on end when Kim pressed against her, running her laying her muzzle against Shego's shoulder, a comforting gesture the Alpha had never received before. It did make her feel a little better, though. And a lot of something else she couldn't quite describe.

"It's in the past, Shego." The soft, tender tone combined with six eyes confirming the omega's words made the Alpha smile a little. Lowering her head to complete the hug, Shego couldn't help but wonder why the Gos couldn't be more like the Possibles.

When the two shewolves parted, they just looked at each other for a moment. Kim was the first to break eye contact. "Uh, we should probably head to the den. No doubt everyone's going to freak-"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Shego cleared her throat, turning towards the forest. "Tomorrow night, then?"

"Ye-"

"Wait!" Jim piped up, Tim right behind him.

"You could come with us!"

"What?" the crimson shewolf furrowed her brow at the three tiny wolves.

"She could come back to the den with us!" Joss smiled, her tail wagging excitedly.

"Then, Wade can see she's not scary!"

"Or mean!"

"Uh…" Kim's mind blanked. Invite the Go Alpha back to the den? While part of her knew that Shego wouldn't threaten her pack- after all, she already knew where the den was and hadn't done anything antagonizing- part of her was violently objecting. Rone would probably feint, Wade would try to dig his way through solid rock, and Niqe and Felix might flip their lids once they found out the pups had left the den _just_ because they wanted to meet the Alpha.

"Uh…" Shego was equally at a loss. Not because she really objected- she'd been absent from her den for days at a time without anyone taking real notice- but because the proposition was just… sudden. By the look on Kim's muzzle, she was equally lost as to what to say. Thankfully, the Alpha's mind snapped back to the situation quickly. "While that's a _wonderful_suggestion, pups, there's, uh, rules about that sorta thing."

"What're the rules?" Jim looked between the shewolves.

"Uh, well, an Alpha can only visit another pack's den if… if…" Kim stalled, her eyes shifting to Shego and pleading for assistance.

"If the, uh, Alpha…" Thinking quickly, only one option popped into Shego's head. "Loses a fight!"

"A fight!" the three pups grinned.

"A fight?" the crimson omega threw a small glare at the pale Alpha. Shego shrugged, trying to say 'what else was I supposed to say?' without voicing it. Kim simply rolled her eyes. "That's right, the Alpha would have to lose a fight."

"Okay!" Jim and Tim settled into their best impression of an aggressive stance.

"Omegas against Alphas!" Joss declared, settling herself between her cousins. Shego frowned, noting how the tiny shewolf's paws were bigger than either of her cousins. She was about to say something when Kim stepped behind the three.

"That's right! Team Possible against the big, bad Go Alpha!" Kim glanced down briefly before mouthing 'go with it' while the pups' attention was focused on Shego.

Rolling her eyes, the pale Alpha settled into her own fighting stance. No matter how hard she tried, though, her fur refused to stand rise even as she flashed a fanged grin at the Possible wolves. "To make things fair, shouldn't there be something I win?"

"Like what?" the crimson omega raised a brow.

"Well, since losing means I have to go to the Possible den, winning means you come to the Go den," Shego and Kim locked gazes, one smug while the other was shocked. It passed swiftly.

"That... sounds fair," dropping her nose, the omega nudged the pups. "You heard her, Possibles; we can't lose!"

"Yeah!"

"Ready?"

As one the four Possibles nodded, a grin playing on Kim's lips. "Go!"

_[To Be Continued: Culture Shock__]_

Author's Note: Extra-long chapter to make up for my lack of updates. Like?


	10. Culture Shock

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the premise (Berserkeroo), the title (Love Robin), or the characters (Disney). Meh.

-Chapter 10: Culture Shock-

The familiar scent reached her first, tickling her nose until she inhaled deeply. She looked to the mouth of the den, her ears catching the soft, measured breathing of her mate as he entered, illuminated by the light of the waning moon. Jugo watched as the Alpha stalked to his customary resting place on the other side of the den, a grim scowl set on his features. "I take it things didn't go well?"

"Things went fine, I suppose," Presgo grumbled, settling down on the moss covered rocks. "Have the pups figured themselves out yet?"

"Hego's howls still aren't making sense," Jugo sighed, shaking her head. "It's like he can't make up his mind on what to say or think. It's just… noise."

"And Shego?" the Alpha leveled a serious frown on his mate. "Has she at least managed to make 'noise'?"

"She's making progress," Jugo said carefully, remembering the shewolf's words from earlier.

"I suppose I should be grateful then… if she screws this up-"

"You'll do what, exactly?" the gold shewolf narrowed her eyes, challenging the wolf across the den to complete his sentence.

"Senior seems keen on proceeding as planned," Presgo sounded nonplussed but chose his words carefully nonetheless, leaving the threat incomplete. "I'd rather not be the one to blame if something goes wrong."

The shewolf rolled her eyes but settled down. "What of the pack? Will we be able to trust them?"

"We won't need to worry about that, so long as we maintain our strength. The whole lot of them are cowards."

"The Senior pack has never been known for bravery," Jugo favored her mate with a smirk. "You knew that when you made the arrangements."

"Which is why I'm confident we'll maintain control," Presgo nodded for his own sake. "The omegas don't fear us Gos but the Alphas do. Maybe we'll make real wolves out of them, in time."

Jugo's smirk faltered. "We're all wolves, Presgo. Different, yes, but wolves nonetheless."

"You've been listening to that old lunatic again, haven't you?" the silver wolf scoffed, glaring at his gold counterpart. "All that Fenrir and Fhang nonsense, we are all one pack and the like. Regardless of Drago's ramblings, I'd bet my fangs that Senior is hiding a snake's scales under his fur." His gaze shifted to the mouth of the den. "I told him I was returning home the night I arrived."

Jugo cocked a brow. That was two nights ago, when Shego first told her mother of her deal with the Possible omega. "You took your time coming home."

"I decided to double back. Something didn't smell right when I was there. I went to the river, swam downstream far enough for the wolf he had following me to turn back, then doubled back to see what the Seniors did when they didn't have company to entertain," Presgo crossed his paws and laid his head on them, snorting forcefully as his lips curled to reveal his fangs. "Seems they are always entertaining guests."

"I'm guessing these 'guests' aren't of the voluntary type," the golden Alpha tilted her head, directing her ears forward. "Who have the Seniors taken prisoner?"

"James and Annabelle," Presgo growled out. "And some pup, probably the last survivor of the Yamanouchi if his coat is anything to judge by."

"What?" Jugo roared, jumping to her feet, fangs bared as she glared at her mate.

"James is injured from what I could see, Annabelle might be too… either way, neither is in any position for a fight," Presgo shifted on the rocks, ready to get some well-deserved sleep.

"A pack of cowards holds two Alphas- pack leaders- hostage and you did _nothing_?" Jugo snarled, her fur rising as the silver wolf looked at her and shrugged.

"Cowards they may be but even I couldn't take on the whole pack at once. We need Senior's cooperation; once the packs are merged, I'll have the prisoners released," he settled down once more, ignoring the heat of his mate's glare. "Besides, Jugo, they are pack leaders no more. The Possible pack will die with the first snow, if any have made it this far."

The gold shewolf wanted to bite her mate but refrained, stalking out of the den while she could still control her anger. It refused to be quelled though. Unable to stop herself, the shewolf lifted her muzzle to the sky and howled, the sound cutting through the forest and taking her frustration and disgust with it.

On the ridge the pups were the first to move, eager to test their skills against the big bad Alpha. Unlike when the shewolf had jumped around the rock, Jim, Tim and Joss were unafraid of Shego as they lunged at her leg, hoping to knock her off balance. From what they'd seen so far, Shego wasn't nearly as scary as the other wolves made her out to be, and definitely not as scary as Kim when she was angry.

The crimson shewolf herself was torn. She didn't want to lose the fight- more out of pride than anything else- but winning didn't seem like the best option. It wasn't that she thought Shego would cause any trouble intentionally; Kim just had the feeling that trouble would brew the moment her pack was formally introduced to the Alpha. Considering the shewolf was far friendlier now than she had been in the past, Kim really didn't see any benefit to possibly upsetting their somewhat hesitant friendship.

Shego side stepped the pups' attack, only to be greeted by Kim's open jaws. Again, the pale shewolf moved aside, dancing away from the omega as her fangs sharply closed on empty air.

Unlike Kim, there was no doubt in the Alpha's mind that she had to win and it had nothing to do with whether or not she wanted to meet the rest of the Possible pack. For her to lose to the younger shewolf and half a litter of pups- mostly omegas- would be downright _embarrassing_. She would be the only one of her pack to know- of that, she'd be certain- but the shame would still be there.

Somehow, as Shego moved to flank the crimson shewolf, Jim and Tim were able to dart under her paws, brown blurs as they raced along the moonlit ground. She didn't step on them, miraculously, but their presence made the Alpha recalculate her movements, which allowed for Joss to jump on her back from the rock she'd somehow found the time to climb. It was irksome at best, seeing as Shego was trying hard not to simply buck the little shewolf into the air but allow for a much gentler landing instead. Some part of her knew Kim would start seriously trying to kill her if the pups were injured during their mock battle. The prospect was not enticing in the least; there was a wide chasm between teasing the omega to irritation and sincerely injuring the other shewolf.

Besides, the pups were just distractions- and very effective ones at that. Kim was the one she had to watch for as the shewolf would knock Shego to the ground if given the chance. Denying the omega that opening was surprisingly more difficult than Shego thought it would be. Unlike their first encounter- and fight- Kim was well rested and fed, her body having recovered from the severe fatigue that had weakened her. She was much quicker than Shego remembered, far more certain of her footing than Shego could be on the unfamiliar rock and dirt, and was using the pups' efforts effectively. Just keeping the crimson shewolf in her line of vision was proving a difficult task for Shego.

Then, right when she'd lost sight of Kim and was preparing to whirl around without stepping on Jim or Tim or throwing Joss from her back, a howl pierced the night. And, unlike most of the previous times she heard howling, Shego could place the tone, understand the emotion, and recognize the wolf. She had enough time to register Jugo was the one howling in anger before Kim barreled into her, sending the Alpha to the ground and Joss skidding to a halt a few feet further.

The Alpha and omega were able to exchange a stunned look before Jim and Tim realized what happened.

"We did it!"

"We won!"

"We did?" Joss's tongue lolled out of her mouth as she got up and shook herself off, trotting over to her cousins. "We did, huh!"

"We did?" Kim offered weakly, a nervous smile gracing her muzzle.

"Yeah, guess so," Shego shook her head, rolling over and getting up, her eyes drifting over the forest. "That was my mother."

"She's pretty upset," Kim offered, unsure if her howling student was able to understand that. Apparently she had, which made Kim a little proud though she tried not to show it; given the shock on Shego's face, it could've been taken the wrong way.

"Presgo must've returned," the Alpha sighed, catching the curiosity flashing in Kim's eyes. "He's my father, the pack leader. If anyone else was bothering her, Jugo would just chew their ears off and send them away with their tails tucked between their legs. He's the only one she can't argue with."

Kim nodded, glancing at the still celebrating pups before dropping her voice to a whisper. "She sounds frustrated, as if something very wrong has happened and there's nothing she can do about it. Uh… not quite helpless but close enough." The omega winced, unsure how her companion would react to the implication of such a high ranking Alpha, of the Go pack no less, being anything close to 'helpless'.

"Then it definitely involves Presgo," Shego scowled and turned her back on the forest. Of course her father would cause trouble the moment he returned. He wasn't even supposed to be back for another three days, if her memory served. As emerald eyes landed on the excited pups, she forced a smile. "Guess I'm coming to the den for a visit."

"Yeah… sorry about that," Kim's ears laid back as she chuckled nervously. "I didn't expect you to get distracted."

"With those little monsters popping in and out of existence like raindrops?" the Alpha laughed, jerking her muzzle towards the advancing pups. "How could I _not_ be distracted?"

"We have to be fast," Jim defended, as if the comment was somehow insulting.

"If we aren't, Yori would be able to catch us too quick," Tim continued.

Joss, with a sly grin, finished for the trio. "And then we'd _never_ get to do anything fun!"

"Like sneak out of the den while everyone was asleep?" Kim deadpanned while raising a brow, instantly returning the excited pups to their previously apologetic demeanors. "We'll talk about your punishments when we get back to the den."

"Aw!" the trio chorused but promptly followed the crimson shewolf as she turned back towards the mountains.

They only made it a few strides when Kim looked back over her shoulder. The pale Alpha wasn't paying attention and the omega considered slipping away and leaving Shego to her thoughts. However, something about the frown painted on her muzzle changed Kim's mind. "Are you coming? You don't have to, if you'd rather not…"

The crimson shewolf pointedly ignored the mumbled protests from the pups.

Shego was looking at the forest again but her ears perked at Kim's voice, favoring her with a smirk. "Oh… No, I think it would be best if I stayed away for a night or two. Presgo is never happy with me and I'd rather not deal with either of them in a bad mood."

Without further delay, the five wolves set out for the Possible den, the three pups bounding ahead with their limitless energy while the shewolves trailed behind. Kim's eyes and ears were constantly in motion, looking for any sign of trouble. "You should relax, you know. Nothing is going to happen while we're right here. No creature would be foolish enough to challenge two full grown wolves."

"Some part of me knows that," Kim mumbled, still dutifully scanning the area. "But most of me would rather not take that chance."

"Ah, you take that whole 'over-protective sister' position very seriously, don't you?" Shego chuckled. "Have these three monsters made you reconsider having pups of your own?"

Kim had to smile at that. "Oddly enough, taking care of them has made me look forward to it. I might be stressed out every minute they're awake but when they sleep…" she sighed, pausing her surveillance to look at Shego with a grin. "It somehow makes every ache, pain, and worry worth it." They walked on in silence a few moments before the question was directed back at the Alpha.

"Me? Pups?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "I've thought about it… but the thing about having pups is you need a wolf for that and… honestly? I don't see myself putting up with _any_ wolf in the territories for long. I'm more of a loner." It was the truth, as she saw it. Regardless of the mating ceremony and uniting the packs, she doubted the wolf she was to join with would survive more than a few seasons before she bit his head off.

"Well, you really haven't tried to kill me in, what, two nights?" the omega teased. "I'd say you're about as sociable as a hermit crab right now; considering our first meeting, the progress is just _stunning_."

"Oh, ha ha," Shego rolled her eyes before hip checking the crimson shewolf, causing her to stumble slightly as she laughed. Though she tried not to, the Alpha found herself cracking a smile at the joke. "I see you're making progress too; one more meal and you'll be as big as a bear."

"A fat joke, really?" Kim shook her head as she laughed. "You could do better."

"Yeah, but you're just not worth the effort," she feigned nonchalance with a shrug, earning a faked huff of indignation from her companion. It lasted about three seconds before they both started laughing.

The pups looked back at the Alpha and omega and exchanged curious looks before continuing on; being substantially smaller than the shewolves, the pups had to work a little harder to stay ahead despite the relaxed pace.

Once the laughing died down, Shego watched the pups while Kim continued looking for any threats. Finally, the question nagging at the back of Shego's mind made its way to her lips. "Why does she call herself an omega?"

"She doesn't understand what an Alpha is," Kim replied without hesitation. She'd been expecting the question since before the mock fight but decided it would be best to wait for Shego to bring it up. "Joss is the only Alpha and she's too young to remember my parents clearly. The term has no context. Even after she's grown into her paws, I doubt she'll consider herself an Alpha."

"Why not?" Shego stopped, allowing the pups to gain some distance while Kim sighed and followed suit. When she spoke again, the crimson shewolf was staring straight at the Alpha.

"Because we don't care," Kim lowered her head slightly. "Alpha or omega, we're _one pack_. The labels others give us? They just don't matter. We work together to stay alive; that's the only way we _know_ to survive. Even if Joss decides to call herself an Alpha, she's not going to believe it makes her any different from Jim or Tim, or me for that matter. That's just not how the pack works."

"I don't get it," Shego shook her head, brows knitted from confusion. "Alphas have certain roles to take, certain talents. She'll become the next pack leader-"

"If that's what she wants," the crimson omega sighed again, unsure how else to explain herself. "We're wolves, Shego, all of us. Just because one is an Alpha doesn't mean that _that_ wolf is any better or worse than an omega by default. It's just a label, something genetic and generic; it doesn't have any bearing on who we are as individuals." Rather than nod along as if she understood, Shego remained staring at the omega like she'd sprung a second head. Rolling her eyes, the crimson shewolf tried another tactic. "Look… you're a little bigger than me and a little stronger while I'm quicker. Aside from that and the color of our fur, what makes us different, Shego? What's the real difference between an Alpha and an omega?" Kim glanced at the pups, who either ignored the shewolves' abrupt stop or hadn't noticed yet, before settling her gaze on Shego once more, waiting for an answer.

It never came.

"Joss, Jim, Tim!" Rone called out from the bottom of the ridge's slope. "Thank Fenrir you three are okay!"

"They're about to be _not_ okay!" Niqe growled from beside the golden wolf, her lip curling just enough to show gleaming white fangs. "What did you think you were doing?"

"I believe they have already been asked that," Yori chimed in, lifting her gaze to the two shewolves just coming down the path. "I trust we are not the only ones displeased with their actions."

"Displeased is putting it lightly," Shego grinned while Kim rolled her eyes. Save for the pups, the Possible wolves cocked their heads, unable to hide their slight surprise.

"They know they're in trouble," Kim threw a stern look at the pups to drive the point home before turning to her packmates. She could see them eying Shego with concern and a little worry. Might as well get the hard part over with, she told herself. "But, uh… there's something else."

"I don't like the sound of that," Wade mumbled, his tail tucking between his legs ever so slowly.

"Shego's coming with us. It's just until tomorrow night," Kim added the last part quickly, seeing the glimmer of fear in Wade's eyes. Rone, Yori and Niqe, on the other hand, appeared stunned.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" Felix called out, having fallen behind the others in their mad dash to follow the pups' fading scents. He noticed the tense expressions his packmates wore, as well as Wade's obvious fear and the pups' wide smiles. He only thought the smiles odd though; he was pretty sure they were supposed to be in trouble.

"In a strange turn of events, I'll be joining the pack for a day," the Go Alpha answered, barely beating Kim. Shego raised a brow and swept her gaze over the other Possible wolves. "I trust that won't be a problem."

"Kim?" The entire pack watched the pale shewolf carefully though only Rone spoke. "Are you sure about this?"

With a grin, Kim nodded. "She won't hurt us. I-"

"I promise," Shego suddenly spoke up, the smirk fading from her lips as she spoke. "On my honor as an Alpha, I will do nothing to harm the Possible pack."

Rone, Niqe, Yori, Wade, and Felix blinked at the Alpha's words, exchanging stunned glances before silently agreeing to the sudden addition to their pack. From the very beginning, Kim had spoken of Shego's pride as an Alpha and they doubted the promise was insincere if she was invoking the status. Wade's ears perked a little as Rone and Yori turned to head back to the den, ushering the pups in front of them. With a final glance at the Alpha, the chocolate wolf followed his packmates.

"That was, um… very, uh, kind of you," Kim stumbled over her words, looking between her packmates and the shewolf beside her.

"Neither one of us wants trouble. I needed to say something to get them to at least accept me temporarily," Shego shrugged, dipping her head slightly. "I thought about swearing by Fhang… but I didn't know if that would be disrespectful."

Kim smiled. "I think you said the right thing."

Shego couldn't help but smile as the two shewolves padded after the rest of the pack. With the pups found and the other wolves no longer in a hurry, they were taking a kinder pace to allow for Felix to keep up. Kim was slightly surprised he had managed to run as far as he had; she guessed he would pay for it in the morning, considering his limp was already more pronounced than usual.

"By the way," the pale shewolf drawled, a sly grin gracing her muzzle. "You owe me a rematch."

"Rematch?"

"You don't think I'm going to let this stand, do you? A Go Alpha being defeated by a bunch of omega pups?"

Kim chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You weren't defeated; you were distracted. There's a difference."

"Trying to back out of another fight?" Shego replied, pretending to be smug about the crimson shewolf's implied fear.

"Of course not. When I beat you, it'll be fair and square," Kim hip checked the surprised Alpha, causing Shego to stumble sideways. With a laugh, Kim launched forward, taking off in a dead sprint and rushing past her packmates. She didn't have to look behind her to know Shego was chasing her down and probably gaining, given her slightly longer legs. Still, she'd give the big bad Alpha a race to remember, especially once they got closer to the mountains.

The moment Shego darted past the group of wolves in pursuit of their leader, the Rone and Yori exchanged wide grins.

"Seems they get along better than Kim let on," Rone whispered, allowing Niqe to take point and usher the pups along. The three needed no encouragement, since they were chasing after Kim and Shego's fading figures as fast as their little legs could carry them. "I haven't seen Kim this happy in seasons."

"Appearances _can_ be deceiving," Yori giggled. "But I think they are pretty accurate in this case."

"I dunno guys," Felix shook his head while limping with the others. With Niqe watching the pups, the others allowed themselves to fall behind. "Couldn't this end up bringing more bad luck for us? It goes against the laws of nature…"

"Wait, what?" Wade's ears perked up, one slightly off to the side. "Having an Alpha from another pack stay at the den violates the laws of nature?"

"Uh, no, Wade," Felix gave a nervous chuckle and looked to the black shewolf and gold wolf for help. "It's just that, uh…"

"Felix is overreacting," Rone assured, a lopsided grin on his muzzle. "We'll be fine, Wade; Shego's not going to hurt Kim or us."

"You hope," Felix mumbled under his breath, peering into the night. The moonlight was still bright enough for her to make out the distant forms of the two shewolves as they raced towards the river, roughly midway between the starting of their race and the Possible den.

Rone heard the comment but chose to let it slide. "Besides, the moon is smiling down on us. I doubt Fhang takes any issue."

Yori decided that redirecting the conversation would be a good idea given the curiosity written on Wade's face. "Maybe we can convince Shego to hunt for us. The meat is almost gone."

"It _is_ gone," Felix raised a brow at Rone, who picked up his pace slightly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Rone," Yori sighed, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Did you get hungry _again_?"

"It's not my fault bear tastes so good!" the golden wolf whined, his ears drooping slightly.

While the Possible wolves made their way back to the den, Kim was beginning to feel herself slow down. Long distance running wasn't one of her strong points and she _had_ put on a few pounds since meeting the pale Alpha. Luckily for her, they were almost to the river, where she would claim the distinct advantage.

"You'll have to do better than that, Kimmie!" Shego yelled, unable to keep the smile from her muzzle as she chased the crimson shewolf. She wasn't running as fast as she could; giving Kim the idea that she was winning would make the pale shewolf's eventual victory that much more entertaining.

Then they hit the river.

Without thinking, Kim's paws found the sweet spots – certain rocks that gave the best traction for crossing the wide river. In a matter of seconds, she was across the river without even breaking stride, having made the crossing countless times before and in the darkest night. The river itself wasn't so deep or swift that falling in would be fatal but, with the wind becoming colder with every passing day, going into the den with wet fur was extremely unpleasant. She'd found that out as a pup.

Shego, on quite the other paw, had _no_ idea that most of the moss covered rocks were ill suited for running on, unless her pads could catch the specific ones that would allow for a smooth transition. By the time she realized her paws were slipping on the treacherous terrain, the pale Alpha was falling head first into the cool waters while the omega watched from the other side.

"What were you saying?" Kim cocked an ear towards the sputtering Alpha as she flailed in the shallow waters, a devious smirk on her muzzle.

"You sneaky-" the Alpha growled, paddling through the water. The river wasn't so deep she couldn't just walk across… a wicked grin flashed across her muzzle before her head dipped below the surface. Making a show of flailing more, Shego allowed her body to be carried a bit downstream before surfacing again. "Possible!"

"Oh, come on," the crimson omega rolled her eyes. The water wasn't _that_ deep… at least, she didn't remember it being that deep, but the Alpha was having trouble keeping her head above water… and seemed to be drifting downstream. "Shego?" Kim edged closer to the water, following the shewolf's slow progress as her worry grew by the second. Maybe it _was_ deeper than she remembered or the river was still swollen from the last rain; maybe the shock of hitting the cold water did something to hinder the Alpha's movements or she injured herself earlier in their impromptu race. When Shego's head again fell beneath the water's surface, and stayed there longer than it should have, Kim jumped into the river. "Shego!"

"Yeah?" she answered, dropping her pretense and standing in the shallow water. Kim's initial judgment was accurate; the water barely covered Shego's back.

"What was that for?" Rearing up on her hind legs, Kim kicked out with her forepaws, splashing water at her companion while giving her fiercest glare. It was a futile gesture but all that occurred to the crimson shewolf. "You had me worried! I thought you were drowning!"

Chuckling, Shego shook the excess water from her head and sent a wave back at her aquatic attacker. "You thought I couldn't swim?"

"I didn't know one way or the other! I'd rather worry and you be alright than not and you get hurt," Kim instantly countered, surprising both shewolves. It was the truth of course; she didn't wish any ill will on the sometimes cantankerous Alpha. Even when she was being her usual, arrogant, snippy self.

"Gee, Kimmie, didn't know you cared," Shego playfully nipped Kim's ear as she hauled herself onto the shore, shaking the water from her coat.

For a moment, Kim just glowered at the other shewolf before following her out of the cool waters with a small grin. Upon exiting the river, the crimson shewolf tackled the Alpha, sending them both to the ground. They rolled in the dirt and grass, both playfully snapping at the other and swatting the other's muzzle away while trying to pin the other to the ground in the process. The race all but forgotten, the two became engrossed in their wrestling match, though neither was taking the competition seriously. Eventually, Shego used her heavier form to immobilize the omega.

Shego was moments away from taunting the crimson shewolf when she- somehow- wound up looking at the omega perched on top of her. "How did you-"

"Possible Pack Secret," Kim grinned, putting her forepaws on the pale shewolf's chest to keep her dominant position. "Maybe I'll teach you one day."

"Obviously, I'm being too good a student," Shego countered, pretending like the weight on her chest wasn't affecting her breathing. It wasn't painful but it did make things difficult. "I should try howling to distract you."

"At this range, it might make my ears bleed," the omega shot back just before being dislodged from her dominant position. Scrambling a bit, Kim managed to stand before Shego set on her again, both laughing as they danced beside the river.

"That looks like fun!" Joss called over her shoulder as she hopped from rock to rock. Her stride wasn't so long yet that she could walk across like the grown wolves. Behind her, Jim and Tim chorused their approval, already planning to attack their cousin the moment they were on the opposite shore.

"It looks messy," Niqe commented despite the smile on her muzzle. "Hey!"

Suddenly aware of their audience, Kim and Shego looked up from their playful battle.

"Make sure you two wash up before leaving," Niqe calmly suggested, suppressing her laugh when both shewolves looked at each other in shock.

The dirt they'd been rolling in had turned to mud in their coats, painting both shewolves a light brown.

"Aw, don't make 'em wash!" Jim whined, turning wide eyes on Niqe.

"Yeah! They look like us now!" Tim continued, wagging his tail excitedly.

"Jim, Tim," their sister softly growled, prompting groans from the three pups.

"We know, we know," the brothers sighed while their cousin spoke.

"The color of our fur doesn't matter, it's what's on the inside that counts."

"Exactly," the two Possible shewolves exchanged proud smiles.

"But it's still cool," Jim whispered, earning small smiles from Joss and Tim.

Niqe began urging the pups on their way- again- with Kim throwing in a promise to hurry after them. As soon as they were safely on their way, Kim jumped back into the river to clean herself off. It was going to be a chilly journey back to the den but, all in all, it was worth it. She hadn't had that much fun in a while. The whole night had been a refreshing change, really.

"Does it really never bother you?" Shego suddenly spoke, startling the omega out of her brief reverie. Favoring the pale shewolf with a curious expression, the Alpha clarified. "That you don't look like them. Gos almost never look like each other, except for our markings, so it's not a problem for me being the only light green wolf. But in a pack of brown wolves, you're the only one with red fur. You're the only omega _ever_ to challenge the natural order of things and survive" She jumped in the water, careful to not make too large a splash. "It doesn't bother you being different?"

"I… well, I can't say I never thought about it," Kim admitted, scratching behind her ear where a particularly troublesome clot of mud clung to her fur. "I guess… I'm different in a lot of ways. My mother and father… they are always supportive. They said they'd love me no matter what." She paused to collect her thoughts, then looked the Alpha in the eyes. "I don't care if I'm different. My pack accepts me, quirks and all. We're all a little different anyway. So what I'm an omega pack leader with red fur? So what I want to teach my whole pack to hunt so we can work as a team? No big. I've got the love and support of family and friends who might as well _be_ family. What else do I need?"

Silence hung heavily between them.

Shego's ears perked. "Food?"

"You know just how to ruin a moment," Kim sighed, climbing out of the water and shaking herself off.

"It's a defense mechanism," the pale shewolf quipped as she followed suit. The wind blew and sent shivers down both their spines. "We should head to the den; it's getting cold."

"You're right," the omega started to pad down the path, the Alpha falling into step beside her. "Oh, and Shego?"

"Yeah?"

"I do… care, I mean," Kim clarified at the strange look she received. "You might be cantankerous-"

"Excuse me?"

"-snarky-"

"_Kimmie._"

"-arrogant-"

Shego snorted.

"-and stand-offish at times," the crimson shewolf recited while ignoring her companion's protests. "But… you can be really sweet too."

"Now those are fighting words," Shego tried to make her warning growl sound convincing. Something about the grin on the omega's muzzle told her she failed- miserably.

They continued toward the den in silence.

"So… you care, huh?"

"Yup."

Shego nodded, acknowledging Kim's response. She felt like she had to say something… she just didn't know _what_. Typically she was quick with retorts, but not this time. Finally, as they reached the foot of the mountain, she decided to say whatever would come out. "I care too. Being different sometimes means you're treated… different. It's nice knowing that there's somewhere that different isn't… bad."

Before continuing up the path to the den, Kim flashed the Alpha a bright smile. "If you can get through tomorrow in one piece and want to brave the danger again, the Possible den will always welcome you, Shego."

"Oh, come on," the Alpha chuckled, padding after the crimson shewolf. "You sound like the world might end. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Don't tempt the fates," Kim muttered despite the smile on her muzzle. As they entered the den, they found Niqe and the pups already settled in their usual spot. A quick glance over her shoulder and she could spot the others making their way up the path. They'd spent more time wrestling at the river than they thought. "Let's get some sleep."

"Sounds good," Shego yawned, ignoring the pups' whispering about how wide her jaw stretched. As the crimson omega padded to what had to be her usual spot within the den, the other Possible wolves entered, heading to their usual spots as well. The visiting Alpha waited until all the wolves were settled before moving to the spot beside Kim and settling down herself, trying to ignore the chill creeping into her skin. Her winter coat hadn't come in yet and from the crimson shewolf's shivering, she wasn't alone in her suffering.

After Kim shivered for the third time, Shego shuffled closer. When those curious olive orbs turned to her, she shrugged. "Might as well share body heat… beats freezing."

"Good point," Kim replied with a smile and shuffled closer to the pale shewolf.

It helped a little. Shego nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt something crawl between her and Kim, followed by two more somethings. When she looked, she found the pups curling up between them, obviously trying to share their body heat with the larger shewolves. While she appreciated the thought, it probably wasn't the best idea. Niqe stopped her from saying so.

"Trust me, arguing with them just gets them started again," she snorted, laying herself down on Shego's other side. "For one night, they'll be fine."

"Blocking the wind will help," Rone whispered, settling down long ways in front of Shego while Yori did the same in front of Kim. The wolf was right; it did help, a little.

Without a word, Wade shuffled closer until he was beside Niqe, less afraid then before but still wary of the pale Alpha. Glancing behind her, Shego saw that the final wolf of the pack- Felix- was behind them, long ways just as Rone and Yori were.

In the den of another pack, surrounded by wolves she didn't know, Shego felt no concern. Just a little warmth in her chest as she laid her head down on her crossed paws.

It _was_ nice being somewhere different, a place where different wasn't bad. She fell asleep surprisingly quickly.

_[To Be Continued: A Change of Pace]_

Author's Note: Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Been moving (more than once) the past few months and just got settled into what should be my new home for the next little while. This chapter was starting to run long, so I broke it up; had some wiggle room in my planning. Sorry for the crazy delay and thanks to everyone who has stuck with this. :)


	11. A Change of Pace

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the premise (Berserkeroo), the title (Love Robin), or the characters (Disney).

-Chapter 11: A Change of Pace-

Shego sighed. There was a downside to the Possible den: it was set in the side of a western mountain, facing to the east. With the rising of the sun, the Alpha had woken and couldn't return to her slumber with the morning rays in her eyes.

So she lay there, trying to be as still as possible and sighing ever so often to prevent the yawns she could feel trying to stretch her jaws.

It had taken all her willpower not to jerk away from the pile when she realized her head was resting on Kim's shoulder and that Kim's head was resting on the pale shewolf's paws. Kim had also rolled onto her side, pressing her back against Shego during the night. The barely noticeable weight on her back suggested that one of the pups had decided she was a more suitable sleeping spot than the rock floor of the den at some point as well; she didn't dare check which one for fear of waking the others.

She just hoped the other two weren't buried beneath crimson and green and black fur.

From what she could see, the rest of the pack had moved in their sleep too and she wondered if that was normal for the pack. Rone was on his back, all four legs somehow sticking in the air and one twitching sporadically while his tongue lolled out of his mouth. It didn't look very comfortable but the golden wolf was still soundly asleep, a goofy grin on his muzzle. From what she could hear, Niqe and Wade had shifted closer together, though towards or away from her was a mystery.

Apparently, Yori was the only one who _hadn't_ moved, which didn't surprise her. That it didn't surprise her _did_ surprise her, though; she wasn't sure how she could become so comfortable with the Possible pack that she could accurately gauge what should and should not be surprising.

With another sigh, Shego tried to squeeze her eyes shut and will herself back to sleep despite the sunlight; Gos never woke up _this_ early without reason. Not to mention it was one of the most peaceful nights of sleep she'd had since this whole mating ceremony mess started and she was keen on going back to it.

The sun continued to rise, eventually reaching the point where the mouth of the cave obstructed the sunlight. As soon as it prevented the rays from reaching her face, Shego fell back asleep.

Once the pale Alpha's breathing became deep and even, Kim opened her eyes and smiled. There would be teasing in her future, no doubt; whether or not the omega was on the receiving end of that teasing would be determined later.

While the sight wasn't surprising to the crimson shewolf, Kim did resist the urge to laugh at her packmates' odd sleeping habits. Rone… was just being Rone and with Yori beside him he looked even goofier. Without looking, she could guess where the others were. The pups had probably crawled atop Niqe or Felix during the night; they always preferred the older wolves to the den floor. Wade was undoubtedly curled up next to Niqe and Felix probably shifted towards the shewolf as well during his sleep.

"Our guest is asleep," Yori whispered, her eyes still closed. Since dawn she'd pretended to sleep and finally let the grin she'd held in check since show on her muzzle.

"Gos don't greet the sun like we do," Kim replied in an equally quiet tone. A typical morning for the Possible pack included waking up at dawn and returning to sleep once the sun had climbed high enough in the sky. The early morning made it easier to hunt fish in the river- a skill Felix learned from watching bears and had taught to the rest of the pack- and the strange sleep schedule was the pack's saving grace. "To be honest, I kinda like sleeping in."

"It's only 'sleeping in' if you actually sleep," Niqe's voice drifted across the den, conveying the hidden smile on her own muzzle. "I'm sure Rone likes it."

"He does seem comfortable," Yori stifled a laugh.

"I can hear you," the golden wolf grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "And I _am_ comfortable, for the record."

"And now we know." Felix drawled, his voice slightly louder than the other wolves as he joined the conversation.

"Not so loud, Felix," Kim whispered even softer than before. "Let her sleep."

Silence settled over the den as the wolves returned to either sleep or their pretense. Yori raised her head a little, cocking it to the side.

"You were right, Kim," she finally spoke, black eyes roving over the peaceful forms of the wolves in their jumble. "She is a good wolf."

The crimson shewolf smiled, closing her eyes and shuffling closer to the Alpha beside her. She was glad her packmates had accepted their guest so readily. It was a plus that at least Yori could see the side of the Alpha that Shego tried so hard to hide. It was becoming easier to coax it out, though. It usually involved allowing herself to be teased or insulted, but even that was becoming less, and Shego no longer turned irritable whenever the omega threw attitude back at the proud Alpha. Almost too quick to notice, they'd become very comfortable with each other.

It was nice.

Moving her head slightly, Kim nuzzled into the black and green fur, the Alpha's strong scent enveloping her. It was_ really_ nice… peaceful… like she was truly content for the first time in her life. If Shego decided to join the pack, she certainly wouldn't complain. Maybe when the mating season began, they would-

Kim jerked violently, startling Shego awake. The sudden action stirred the entire pack, the wolves easily sliding to full alertness as they curiously gazed at their leader. The pale Alpha seemed the most confused, though, and it barely covered the concern flashing in her eyes. With a nervous chuckle and drooping ears, Kim offered a weak apology. "Just a… bad dream. Sorry."

Shego could smell and see that the omega was lying as easily as the others could, but let the matter slide. Joss, on the other hand, moved from the Alpha's hip to her shoulder to question the crimson shewolf.

"You sure it was a bad dream, Kim?" the pup cocked her head to the side, looking down at her cousin.

"Joss, stop being rude and get off our guest!" Niqe chastised from the Alpha's other side, a small sigh of relief escaping the crimson shewolf's muzzle as the subject changed.

"But she's comfy!" Joss whined while complying, shooting glares at Jim and Tim as they barely managed to suppress their mirth- they were resting on Felix and Monique respectively. "And really warm!" Once firmly on the ground before Kim and Shego, Joss turned big, questioning blue green eyes on the Alpha. "Why is your fur thicker than ours? Is it because you're an Alpha?"

Shego blinked a moment- stunned by the abrupt question- and then began chuckling while shaking her head. "No, pup, my fur isn't thicker because I'm an Alpha. If I had to guess, it's probably because Gos tend to sleep in snow during the winter months. We don't have nice warm caves in the forest."

"Really?" Jim and Tim started to clamber off the other wolves, eager to learn more about the home of the Gos. Felix and Monique were able to catch them just in time, though, lightly biting into the napes of their necks to prevent their escape.

"Pups, I'm sure you can pester Shego at your own peril later," Rone grinned, having rolled into an upright position when he woke. Yawning loudly, the golden wolf settled himself on his side. "But let's get some more sleep for now."

"Rone is right," Kim nodded, carefully keeping her gaze focused on the bit of rock between her paws. "We should go back to sleep."

With a bit of grumbling from the pups, everyone settled back down to sleep. Joss seemed torn between climbing onto Yori or Kim, never pausing to consider sleeping on the rock floor of the den. Ultimately, she decided on Kim, padding towards her cousin.

"Hold up, pup," Shego then nosed Kim, gently pushing the omega away. Trying to hide her disappointment, the crimson shewolf rolled onto her other side and was surprised when Shego shifted closer, then rested her head just behind Kim's shoulder. In response to the questioning gazes both Possible shewolves wore, Shego shrugged. "Had to claim my spot first."

"Hey!" the omega protested halfheartedly, a smile on her lips.

"Oh shut up," the Alpha countered, yawning slightly. "You're comfy; deal with it."

Kim could feel as Joss climbed up her back, then walked along her side. The weight disappeared and a quiet, nonthreatening growl came from Shego.

"You're comfy; deal with it," Joss brazenly parroted back to the Alpha. Kim lifted her head just enough to see what had happened before covering her muzzle with her paw, trying hard to stifle her laughter. Joss was grinning triumphantly, laid out atop Shego's neck, the pup's chin resting on the crown of the Alpha's head.

A moment later, Shego snorted. "Omegas."

That was the end of the matter, as Shego didn't force the pup to move. Once the threat of laughing passed, Kim listened to the wolves' breathing around her and the wind sliding along the den floor. Slowly, she drifted to sleep with a smile.

It was still nice.

Safe in their den the wolves peacefully rested, unaware of the anxiety of the other packs. This particular day, the wind sweeping down their mountain was fierce, bypassing the sheltered cave where the Possible wolves and Shego slept and making its way into the forest, across the river and into the valley.

"One would think winter has already come," Presgo grumbled, shifting around to shelter his muzzle from the cold.

"It will be harsher this year," Jugo noted, drifting between sleep and wakefulness. "It seems to get worse every year."

Presgo snorted in agreement.

In another den, Hego frowned. "Shego's still not back."

"She disappears from time to time," Mego grumbled, turning his back on his brother. "Go back to sleep."

"Aren't you worried about her?" the hulking blue Alpha snapped.

"No," his brother replied easily. "She's always come back before. She does her own thing. Either accept it or spend your time griping about it like Father does."

"Sometimes I think you're heartless."

Mego yawned. "Maybe I just know our sister better than you do."

Hego didn't reply, instead gazing out into the light sunshine peeking through the clouds and leaves. Down by the river, the Wegos had taken it upon themselves to find their sister, eager to tell her of their success in scaring Hego the night before.

"I keep losing her scent," one complained to his twin across the river, worry flashing in his eyes. "You don't think-"

"No way!" The other red wolf sniffed the ground some more, then shook his head. "Shego wouldn't get taken down by a bunch of omegas!"

"Well, there's no blood…"

"Maybe she went into the mountains."

"Why?"

"To… stalk a bear?" The pup's ears drooped. "I dunno."

"Maybe she's already back at the den?"

"Maybe." The pups slowly started back for the Go den, shivering against the cold. "Is it supposed to be this cold already?"

The omega pups weren't the only ones gritting their teeth against the wind's torment. In the valley, the Senior wolves bemoaned the onset of winter as well.

"Our winter coats need to come in sooner," Bonnie grumbled as she paced in front of the burrow, the cold wind blowing aggressively across the valley.

"Winter's coming early," Josh sighed, glancing behind him. "We'll be warmer with the forest's trees to block the wind, right?"

"Not always," James replied, somehow knowing the question was directed at him despite his eyes being closed. "The wind sweeps through the forest first and loses a lot of strength by the time it reaches the valley. You might be able to hide from the wind but it will cut deeper when it finds you."

"The best thing to do is hide in the snow until the wind dies down," Annabelle nuzzled her mate absently. "Or in a burrow like this one."

Bonnie and Josh exchanged hesitant glances. James cracked an eye open.

"You two can guard us just as well from inside."

The two omegas exchanged another quick glance before Bonnie shrugged. "He's got a point…"

As the Senior wolves padded into the burrow, the two Alphas paid them no mind while Hirotaka glared, barely keeping himself from attacking. Only the presence of James and Annabelle allowed him to hold his anger in check.

One day, he would run with the wind and never look back.

Back in the west, the Possible wolves began to stir. They usually woke just after the sun passed the tip of their mountain but sleeping passed daybreak had given them more than enough rest. Shego was still fast asleep though, keeping Kim pinned to the ground as the other omegas began quietly leaving the den.

"Should we wake her up?" Joss whispered, looking down at her cousin from atop Shego's head.

The omega could only smile.

"We could give her a traditional Possible wake-up call!" Jim chimed in, inching closer to the Alpha while pressing his torso low to the ground as he crawled.

"Yeah, then she'd feel like a real member of the pack!" Tim grinned, safely positioning himself on the other side of Kim's muzzle, being only slightly intimidated by the large shewolf.

"What if she attacks?" Wade joined in the conversation from a much safer position- outside the den. Rone laughed softly.

"She won't."

"How can you be sure though?"

"We'll prove it!" The pups responded simultaneously.

Without waiting for any of the other wolves to object- or giving them time enough to- Joss leaned over and sunk her teeth into Shego's ear. Meanwhile, Jim lunged at Shego's throat, latching onto the extra skin there, and Tim- somehow- teleported himself around to attack the Alpha's tail. None of the bites were hard enough to break skin, of course, but enough to jolt the Alpha awake.

Sure enough, it worked.

With a yowl of surprise, Shego jumped to her feet, which was exactly the wrong move to make. Almost instantly the pups disengaged, clearing the way for Rone and Yori to barrel into Shego's side, knocking her over. As the three wolves rolled across the floor of the den, Kim jumped to her paws and rushed over to join the pile alongside Niqe and Felix.

"Did you all lose your _minds_?" Shego growled, pawing at the assaulting wolves who weren't actually attacking her as much as making it incredibly difficult to get upright. Somehow, the pups found their way into the wolfpile, doing that same here-I-am-then-I'm-not thing they had proven so effective the night before.

Despite the growling coming from the Alpha, the abundance of laughing from the Possible wolves drew Wade into the den.

"Seriously! What are you doing!" Shego snapped her jaws at the air.

"Wake-up, wake-up, time for you to wake-up!" Rone started chanting, the other wolves joining in until it was a complete chorus.

"I'm going to bite each one of your heads off!" the Alpha growled, finally managing to stand up, which of course backfired almost instantly.

Wade had finally decided to join, bowling Shego over and starting the whole process over again. The chanting fell apart as the wolves continued their mock battle, dissolving into more laughing that the Alpha couldn't help but find infectious.

"You are all so dead when I get up!" she called above the din, though the breathless laugh that accompanied it sucked all danger from the threat. "I mean it!"

"Yeah right!" Niqe teased, pulling away from the fight the same time as Felix. "Don't front; you're having fun!"

"That doesn't mean I have to enjoy it!" Shego called back, paused long enough to realize what she'd said and then continued struggling against her assailants. "You know what I mean!"

Rone started laughing so hard he couldn't continue fighting, even in jest, and had to pull himself away from the dwindling pile. Wade, Kim, and Yori were still giving Shego a hard time, with the pups popping in and out of existence just when the Alpha thought she might be able to right herself.

There had to be some sort of benefit to living in the mountains that Shego was unaware of; _no_ wolf could be that quick, much less a whole pack of them!

And just like that, it was over, leaving Shego staring at the roof of the den, flat on her back and panting hard. The Possible wolves were arranged around the disheveled Alpha, grinning like mad and panting like their confused victim.

"What is _wrong_ with you Possible wolves?" Shego blinked and rolled onto her side.

"Consider it your official welcome to the home of the Possible pack," Kim announced, padding over to nose the shewolf's shoulder. "Now, get up! We've slept most of the day!"

"And I'm ready to sleep the rest of it!" the Alpha barked back, swatting aimlessly at the crimson omega. She eventually rolled onto her belly though, rising up and shaking herself to settle her ruffled fur. Before another complaint could be made, Shego's stomach growled. "Or eat. That's a viable option too."

The Possible wolves exchanged sheepish glances.

"Yori, think you could catch a rabbit or two?" Kim fought to keep her smile in place, wondering the whole while how much an Alpha ate compared to an omega. She knew Joss had just a little more of an appetite than her cousins but Shego was a full grown wolf, not a pup. "Maybe three?"

"I'll see what I can do," Yori replied with a graceful smile.

"Wait, rabbits?" Shego's ears perked, at first confused at such a small amount of meat for so many wolves. Then she remembered and laughed. "Deer is more filling. I'll go hunt one down; it shouldn't take long."

"You don't have to Shego." A quick glare silenced any protest from Rone, Felix, and Wade. "It would be terrible manners to ask you to hunt for us."

The Alpha scoffed. "It's not a big deal, Kimmie, and I'm hungry too."

"You've already done so much-"

"I can do a little more-"

"Shego-"

"Kimmie-"

The two shewolves stared at each other, standing their ground. The sight was amusing to the other wolves in the den, finding no animosity between the two despite their severe attitudes.

"This is a pointless argument," Shego observed with a smirk.

Kim chuckled. "We've fought much harder over much less."

"True."

"Here… how about this," the omega looked around at her packmates. "We'll show the big Alpha how we hunt as a pack-" her gaze fell on Shego "-and she can give us pointers, if she wants. Whoever ends up making the kill doesn't matter."

"That sounds reasonable," the Alpha tilted her head to the side, her smirk still in place. "So, naturally, I refuse."

Kim rolled her eyes and groaned while the rest of the pack laughed.

"And you were scared of her," Rone nudged Wade with his shoulder.

"You were too!" the chocolate wolf instantly fired back, with a slight grin on his lips.

The pale Alpha raised a brow at the exchange but didn't press the matter. Deer sounded really good. "Alright, alright, for the sake of food I'll play your little game." Padding to the mouth of the den, the grown wolves followed her while Niqe and Felix began arguing with the pups to stay behind. "Let's hunt."

Meanwhile in the forest, most of the Go wolves slept peacefully in their burrows. A few, though, were not asleep.

"Shego's still not back," one of the Wegos whispered, sniffing around the Alphas' burrow while trying to not to disturb their brother.

"She's probably fine," his twin offered, a twinge of worry in his voice.

"Of course she's fine." The pups turned to see their omega brother padding in from the chilly wind that had only recently started to abate. "She's just avoiding Father, as usual."

"Mego, you shouldn't be so careless," Hego lifted his head, proving he was awake, curled up in the corner of the den. "She's our sister."

"Who wanders off regularly and always comes back fine," the purple omega instantly replied, settling down on the opposite side of where Shego usually slept. "We've been over this. She'll come back when she wants."

The Wegos circled the spot Shego usually rested and laid down, curled close together.

"Why do the two of you bother her so much?" Hego cocked his head to the side. "She's not very fond of us and she's especially mean to you two."

"Like you're much better," one pup growled while the other lifted his head to look at the blue Alpha.

"She cares, she just has a different way of showing it, just like you and Mego."

"Mego cares?" The Alpha looked at his apparently slumbering brother. "He doesn't care about any wolf but himself."

"I heard that." The omega didn't even bother opening his eyes, though one ear twitched towards the Alpha. "I care enough to know that _your_ howling is improving, little by little. You've finally stopped begging for help."

The pups snickered while their eldest brother started in shock.

"Wha- How did- You know I practice in private!"

"So does Shego." Mego paused. "Well, kinda." Upon noticing his brothers' curious looks, he shrugged. "She's making a lot of progress; that's all you need to know."

Silence settled over the brothers, each falling asleep as the wind- though lessened- howled just outside the burrow.

As the wind died down, though it still was strong enough to send a chill through the wolves' fur, a herd of deer grazed idly in a familiar field, unaware of the wolves prowling into place around them. Sunlight occasionally peeked through the clouds but the field itself lay blanketed in the dreary light of an early winter afternoon, the occasional grunt of the deer, their tearing at the grass, and the wind the only obvious noises. Much quieter so as not to alert the dim creatures, the wolves of the Possible pack plus Shego crept through the underbrush, sticking to the shadows of the trees. Yori had already voiced her concern about hunting during the day- apparently, the Possible strategy relied on night- but Shego had encouraged the omegas to try anyway.

A small grin on her muzzle, Shego followed effortlessly after the two shewolves while Rone and Wade mirrored their movements on the other side of the field, closer to the mountains and upwind of their prey. It was amusing, to some degree, how focused Yori was on the deer and how Kim's own attention was split between the deer and Shego.

"I'm not making you nervous, am I?" the Alpha couldn't help but taunt, quietly snickering at the exasperation passing over the crimson shewolf's muzzle.

"Just remember," Kim quietly grumbled. "We get to try first."

The Alpha merely nodded, picking her way deeper into the underbrush as Kim and Yori pressed closer to the field. Already the scent of Rone and Wade was on the wind, the deer snapping their heads up as they caught the smell in their noses. Shego started pressing further along the treeline, expecting the omegas to fail.

The pack's group hunting couldn't work too well if hunting lessons were included in their deal, so it was only logical to prepare herself to make the kill. It wouldn't do if she failed on the first try either, which in itself was actually quite unlikely but there was hardly any reason to take chances.

Not that she was out to impress anyone, though.

The first deer began moving, taking a few long strides towards the safety of the trees on the other end of the field, almost exactly where Yori was lying in wait. Kim was a bit further down, crouching low to the ground as her lips pulled back into a snarl. It took a moment but, halfway between the grazing spot and the tree line, the deer started vocalizing, a strange breathy sound that prompted the rest of the herd to abandon their meal.

A second deer, then a third, followed the first before the remainder moved. Rone and Wade chose that moment to spring forward, teeth gnashing as they chased after their prey. With the danger clear, the hesitant retreat became a full-fledged flee, each of the deer bounding towards the trees as fast as they could. Just when it looked like three or four strides would be enough to reach the trees, where their greater mobility would give them the advantage over their predators they so desperately needed, Yori and Kim lunged forth, bursting through the trees and startling more than half the herd. As hooves lashed out, deer rearing onto their hind legs in a desperate attempt to change direction, Kim and Yori danced between, singling out their own targets.

Yori had picked a doe that couldn't have been more than a few seasons old, too small to pose a serious challenge in Shego's opinion. The black shewolf cut in front of her quarry's path. The doe stopped and tried reversing, aiming to flee from the certain death that awaited it, but was too slow; Yori lunged at it with claws and teeth, scoring a long, bloody welt along the doe's flank. The moment it turned, Wade was there, growling before snapping at the doe's legs. He managed to solidly clamp onto one of the forelegs, coming away from the attack with a bit of skin hanging from his mouth.

Shego was suitably impressed; it would be hard for the wolves to lose the battle against such a weak creature and even she had to admit it was considerably quicker than chasing the damn beasts across the forest and running them ragged before making the kill.

Then her eyes shifted to the other two Possible wolves. Kim, on the other hand, had chosen a young buck, a bit bigger than the doe and obviously heavier. Thinking about the meat hidden beneath its hide made Shego's mouth water but the thought of her impending meal was set aside as the buck lowered its head and swiped at Kim with its antlers. Rone was on the other side of the creature, circling it with Kim, and already three lines of blood shone on the creature's shoulder, though Shego wasn't sure who had made the attack.

Unfortunately, the two wolves were kept at a distance, as each time one would lunge forward for a strike the buck would whirl and toss its head, the threat of those antlers keeping its attackers at bay. Shego watched closely, abandoning the relative concealment of the trees. The rest of the herd had fled, leaving behind the two that the Possible pack had singled out. The doe was back in the middle of the clearing, with Yori on one side and Wade on the other, biting and clawing to draw fresh blood while guiding the creature in its blind retreat, keeping it in the open field.

Kim and Rone were not fairing so well. The buck was standing its ground, refusing to run as it lashed out with hooves and antlers. Neither the golden nor the crimson wolf could get too close until Kim threw caution to the wind and charged, leaping into the air with jaw wide and paws outstretched. The buck, however, was still fresh enough to fight and caught the shewolf midair with its antlers, knocking her off course. As if temporarily forgetting about the other wolf harassing it, the buck turned, as if to bear down on Kim the moment she hit the ground.

Before that could even come to pass, two things happened. One, Rone took the opportunity lunge forward and sink his teeth into the buck's rear right leg, putting every ounce he had into keeping the beast still. Two, Shego broke into her fastest sprint, lips pulled back and teeth glinting maliciously.

Shego's vision narrowed until there were only two things: the ground beneath her paws as she ran and the soft skin of the buck's throat. She was close, she instinctively knew the distance, the motion ingrained into her muscles from countless hunts and perhaps further still, buried deep within her blood, and three, two, her paws hit the ground and she sprang forward, twisting her head just so to catch that tender flesh between her teeth.

Usually, she would make the killing strike head on, after wearing her prey down for hours, when it was too tired to flee further and unable to react in time to save itself. The buck, though, was not tired, and still in the process of turning to deal with Rone, so when her teeth sunk into its throat, her momentum carried her past the beast.

The next thing she knew, the pale shewolf was flat on her back, mouth filled with the taste of blood, a chunk of fur, and the soft flesh of the felled beast's neck. Not one of her most graceful landings or attacks, she mentally chided as she rolled over and spat out the contents of her mouth, but it did the trick. Then, all critique of the hunt left her mind as she started looking for the crimson shewolf.

"You okay over there, Kimmie?" the Alpha taunted, or at least attempted to, while quickly treading over to where the crimson shewolf lay, sprawled in the grass.

"I'm fine," Kim huffed, hauling herself to her paws and shaking herself free of dirt and grass. "Rone?"

The golden wolf padded over to her, the kill left to its death throes behind him. "I'm fine, Kim, but are you sure you're okay?"

"I've had worse," Kim countered, a lopsided grin on her face as both wolves drew near. "Looks like Wade and Yori did well too." A little ways off, Yori was crouched down, jaw clamped firmly on the doe's throat as its legs kicked out uselessly, Wade sitting not too far away. Their hunts usually weren't so successful; this was certainly a victory for the Possible pack, as far as Kim was concerned. Just before she could call out to her packmates, she winced and yelped. "Ow!"

"It got you pretty good here, Kimmie," Shego noted, nosing the crimson shewolf's side again. Kim tried hard to clamp her jaw shut but all it did was dull the pained yelp and turn it into a pathetic grunt. "You're going to have to rest for a little while."

Kim rolled her eyes. "It's not that-"

"It might not be Kim, but there's no reason to take any chances," Rone nodded towards the buck. "As long as this meat lasts us, you shouldn't try hunting again."

"Oh, seriously, it's no bi- OW- Shego, stop doing that!" Kim snapped, whirling on the Alpha and nearly falling over in the process. Growling, she shook herself again and noted the very distinct pain flowing along her side. Somehow, perhaps in the euphoria of the hunt, she hadn't noticed it until Shego started poking at the wound. "Okay, fine, I won't be doing any hunting for a while. Does that make everyone happy?"

Rone laughed, gently nipping at one of the crimson shewolf's ears. "It's only 'cause we care, Kim."

"I don't," Shego stated, tilting her muzzle towards the sky. "I just don't want her bailing on our agreement prematurely."

Kim rolled her eyes again, looking to Rone. She was surprised to see him grinning at her, amusement plain on his muzzle, which he instantly covered up by calling out to Yori and Wade.

"Hey, we got one over here too! Wade, think you could help me drag it back to the den?"

Wade nodded, trotting over to the carcass before Shego spoke up. "No need, Rone, I can carry it."

"Won't it be pretty heavy?" Wade cocked his head to the side, slowing his approach but not stopping fully just yet.

"Need I remind you I delivered a full sized bear to your den?" Shego smirked, nodding in the direction of the forest. "But more importantly, the blood will attract… others. While I might be able to kill anything in the land, nothing is stupid enough to attack a pack where two wolves are readily able to fight."

Kim opened her mouth to protest- there were _three_ wolves ready to fight, she wasn't completely invalid- but clicked her jaw shut at the look Shego shot her. The omega groaned. "Oh, fine. Let's head home, everyone. Yori, lead the way."

The black shewolf nodded, the doe's head hanging limply as the majority of its body drug along the ground. Still, the weight wasn't so great the omega was unable to pick up a trot, and the others followed just as swiftly. Kim even had to admit she was grudgingly impressed Shego was keeping pace, considering the size of the buck. She fell in beside the pale Alpha as Wade and Rone split to either side, eyes scanning for any possible threat.

When she thought no one was paying much attention, the crimson shewolf cast a sidelong glance at her companion. "Shego… thanks."

As her mouth was full of deer, the only response Kim got was a twitching of her ears and her lip pulling back in a smirk. It might've been a smile but Kim would've bet both kills it was meant to be a smirk.

"You're going to be insufferable about this at least until the next moon, aren't you?"

Shego's response came in the form of a lifted brow.

The crimson omega sighed, a smile on her muzzle. "I thought so."

Thankfully, the trek back to the den was uneventful. Shego was glad for it too; dragging a buck was no easy task, especially not at Yori's pace. She couldn't very well complain about it either. Her pride simply would not accept something so humbling as asking for Rone and Wade to drag the damn thing for a little while, particularly not after her talk of dragging a bear… that she didn't actually drag, per say, at least not very far.

When they finally made it back, Niqe, Felix, and the pups were ecstatic about the fresh meat, though they were more interested in hearing the tale of the hunt. Joss was also very keen on hearing Shego's version while Jim and Tim wanted to hear from Yori, citing she was the best at story telling in the pack. They settled on telling the story in tandem, with Yori detailing the doe's death while Shego explained the buck's, switching between the two and keeping the pups enthralled between mouthfuls of the buck's meat.

"The doe ran, fear so strong I could taste it on my tongue, but the fear fueled its flight, lent it strength it desperately needed to avoid my jaws," Yori continued while Shego chewed a particularly large mouthful. Joss, Jim, and Tim sat before her, hanging on every word, hardly paying attention to the meat lying before them.

"She does tell good stories," Rone whispered, having eaten his portion already. Kim nodded, licking her chops for stray blood as she watched the others. "How's your side?"

"It's fine, Rone, really," she sighed, looking over her shoulder at the wound. It really wasn't so bad; one of the buck's prongs had caught near her hip. It made moving around a little annoying but it was just a scratch.

Felix gave her a reproachful look. "Trying to tough it out isn't going to do you any good, Kim. The last thing we need is for that to fester and lame you. Speaking from experience, it's not enjoyable in the slightest."

"Felix is right," Rone nodded, ears drooping slightly. "We have to be more careful, Kim. It was never the plan to take down _two_ deer; the moment Yori marked the first, we should've helped her and Wade."

"And you really didn't have to go after a buck. They're dangerous and you know that," Wade added quietly, eyes shifting to the ongoing story as Shego picked up with Kim and Rone attacking the buck.

"It swung its massive head, antlers as thick as a log bearing down on Kimmie and Rone," Shego swiped the air with her paw, obviously trying to outdo Yori in the story telling department, completely ignoring that the carcass of said buck was tucked into the back corner of the cave, clearly ruining the embellishment. That didn't mean the pups didn't react with suitable shock as they heard the tale and Kim had to smile at their reactions. "But those two omegas, they were too quick, and it missed! That buck didn't make it easy though; he had these huge hooves, bigger than the three of you combined, and he kicked out at them!"

Niqe glanced at Kim, returning her gaze to the pups before speaking. "You know, mating season is coming up soon."

Kim's ears perked momentarily before flattening against her skull. "And that is relevant to anything, how, exactly?"

Niqe shrugged while Rone snickered behind his paw. "I'm just sayin'."

"Niqe, if you're implying-"

"I didn't hear any implications," Rone, his concern suddenly replaced with a wide grin, rolled onto his side and looked up at her. "Does someone have a guilty conscience?"

"Why would I have a guilty conscience?" The crimson shewolf playfully bared her teeth.

"You're being defensive," Felix pointed out, tongue lolling out of his mouth as Kim glared at him.

"I am not."

Niqe raised a brow. "So, you're saying you don't like Shego."

Kim opened her mouth but hesitated, ears twitching as she tried to form a coherent response. However, the slight delay had already given Rone, Felix, Wade, and Niqe reason to smile. Rather than try to explain herself, Kim opted for the more direct route; she leaned forward and lightly closed her jaws on Niqe's muzzle, effectively preventing the shewolf from saying anything further.

Niqe flattened her ears against her skull and tried to pry her mouth open but to no avail; Kim's jaws were stronger. Rone and Wade fought to keep from busting out laughing, watching the now silent battle between the two shewolves.

"Uh… Kimmie?" An ear and an eye flicked in Shego's direction, noting that the story had either ended or paused while the pups, Shego, and Yori watched them carefully. There was the barest hint of amusement in Yori's smile while the others simply looked confused. "Is everything okay over there?"

Kim looked down her nose at Niqe, then back at the other wolves. Though muffled, she was still able to respond with a barely recognizable, "yeah."

"If you say so." The pale shewolf replied, nodded slowly, before turning back to the pups with a curious glance at Yori, who simply shrugged. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Kim released Niqe, who promptly swatted her playfully and stretched her jaw. "Then crack! The buck's antlers caught Kimmie!"

The pups gasped in unison, turning wide eyes to the crimson shewolf.

"Kimmie hit the ground and rolled as the beast turned to finish the job," Shego continued. "But there's no keeping a Possible wolf down, so she sprang up and sunk her fangs into the buck's soft throat-"

"That's not what happened," Kim objected, rising to pad towards the pups. The moment their attention was on her, Kim sank low to the ground, smiling as she continued the story. "I had barely hit the ground when Shego lunged at the beast, sinking her teeth into its fur. With a twist of her head, she tore its throat straight out!"

"Whoa," the pups chorused, lips pulling back as they seemed to reenact the finishing blow amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Kim turned her attention to the Alpha.

"You shouldn't give me the credit. That kill was yours, fair and square."

Shego smirked. "I was just trying to make you look good, Kimmie. They already _know_ I'm awesome."

For what felt like the umpteenth time, Kim rolled her eyes, a smile playing along her muzzle. "You're insufferable sometimes."

"It's part of my charm."

Kim gave a long suffering sigh, turning her head at the sound of claws scratching on stone. "Going for your run, Felix?"

The other omega chuckled, nodding. "It always feels good to run after a nice meal. Whose turn is it to watch the pups?"

"I think it's mine," Rone scratched behind one ear. Yori stood, looking between the golden wolf and Kim.

"All things considered, it might be wiser to let Kim stay behind."

The shewolf cringed, either in embarrassment or disgrace, she couldn't be sure. Her wound wasn't even that bad!

"That's a good point," Rone conceded. Kim thought about speaking up but, noticing the way Shego and Niqe were watching her, thought better of it. "I'll just take your next turn, Kim, if that's okay."

"It's fine," the crimson shewolf replied, settling herself down to watch the pups, who were still adamantly reenacting the hunt, with Joss playing the role of the buck and Jim and Tim alternating as Rone, Shego, and herself. "Just be careful, please."

"Of course," Yori smiled, following Niqe, Felix, and Rone to the mouth of the den.

Niqe stopped just before leaving, looking over her shoulder. "Shego, are you coming?"

The pale Alpha raised a brow, glancing at Kim. "A relaxing run through the mountains? That doesn't sound too bad."

As Shego went to join the other wolves, Yori discreetly winked at Kim. Unfortunately, it didn't amuse the crimson shewolf as much as disappoint her; she could only imagine what her packmates were about to put the Alpha through.

"When can we start going on runs?" Joss turned wide eyes on her cousin, pinned beneath the two omega pups 'devouring' her.

Kim smiled softly. "Soon enough, Joss, I promise."

"How long is 'soon' going to take?"

"Yeah," Tim suddenly chimed in, jumping over Joss to paw at Kim's shoulder. "How long is 'soon'?"

"We can keep up now," Jim had taken to climbing onto Kim's back. "We're almost as fast as Felix!"

"And how long can you keep up with him, hmmm?" The crimson shewolf raised a brow, carefully rolling onto her side as the pups began nuzzling into her fur. Though they were stubborn to admit it, their bodies weren't used to full stomachs; every meal made them very sleepy.

"For… a bit," Tim replied, wincing at his own word choice.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Well, how will we ever find out if we never get a chance?" Joss nipped at her cousin's ear.

Kim rolled her eyes, tempted to get up just to upset the precarious balance of her charges. "You will get the chance, Joss, all of you. Just give it a little more time."

"That's-" Tim broke off to yawn. "-not an answer."

"It's the best I have for now, pups," Kim nosed each in turn as they settled, Joss on her belly, Jim tucked up by her hindlegs, and Tim settling for against her chest, his head peeking out between her forelegs. "Get some sleep."

Surprisingly, there was little protest; the meal sitting heavily in their guts had finally robbed the pups of their waking energy. Kim laid her head down and sighed, a smile on her muzzle. Deep down, it terrified her that one day the pups would grow up and expect to hunt and run through the mountains, most likely on their own the way the others did on occasion. The world outside their den was so dangerous.

Idly, she wondered how Shego was faring; Yori and Rone, more mobile than their packmates, were probably pushing the Alpha to her limits on the treacherous rocks of the mountain. She really wouldn't put it past them to goad the Alpha into following them or Shego into falling for it.

She just hoped the pale shewolf didn't get hurt in the process.

Her concerns were entirely justified, not that the Alpha would be willing to admit such aloud. Deeper into the mountains, the six wolves ran along a barren ravine between two towering peaks, Niqe, Wade, and Felix taking the flatter low ground while Rone, Yori, and Shego ran along the narrow remnants of a trail, rocks occasionally sliding from beneath their paws as easily as their shadows over the rocks.

"This is suicide," the pale Alpha growled under her breath, trying her hardest to stay within snapping distance of the golden tail in front of her. Whenever the trail lead more or less straight, she would gain ground on the omegas before her, but at each twist and turn, with every uncertain bound, Shego would find herself falling just a bit behind.

They weren't even going that fast, truly; Niqe, Wade, and Felix were loping along the ravine floor, slow enough that the injury to his leg was only barely noticeable, but Yori and Rone kept throwing sudden changes into their path- jumping up to a higher, narrower, more dangerous trail before descending, sometimes running along the ravine floor to the other side and repeating the process. Still, the overall speed was light, something Shego would laugh at were they in the soft, solid terrain of the forest.

On hard rock that might not stay where it is? That was a wholly different matter.

"Heads up!" Rone barked, his body falling low to the ground before he bounded up, paws somehow finding just the right places in the rocky wall of the ravine as he ascended without breaking stride. Yori was already on the higher trail, black ears twitching as she led the way.

Shego groaned; this was more work than she was willing to do on a full stomach. Yet, she followed the golden wolf, bounding up to the higher trail, claws scrabbling to keep her from falling. Suddenly, she understood how the crimson omega had managed to hold her own when the two fought; any wolf traversing such treacherous terrain regularly had to be quick and light on their paws.

Shego, however, was neither, at least not to the degree the omegas were, and found herself slipping more than once on the rocks. After reaching the base of yet another mountain, Yori and Rone began to slow, descending to the ravine floor to jog alongside Wade, Niqe, and Felix, who were talking quietly among themselves. Shego trailed behind ever so slightly, trying to catch her breath while ignoring the burning in muscles she never paid attention to even having, much less using.

On countless chases she ran through the forest, across fields, clearings, wherever her prey would take her on their flight to supposed safety, but not since she first learned to hunt, alongside her mother, had she ever felt so winded.

Following a narrow passage east, the six began the trek back to the den, which Shego was silently thankful for; they hadn't run far, not at all, but the vertical distance, up and down the walls of the ravine, had taken a much greater toll than she could've imagined.

As Felix, Wade, and Niqe led the way ahead, Rone and Yori dropped back to pad alongside Shego. "Do you do this in the snow too?"

"We probably will," Rone answered, tongue lolling out ever so slightly. "We started doing these runs late in the spring, so this will be our first winter."

"Kim insisted on us doing these runs when it seemed we were losing hope," Yori dropped her voice to just above a whisper. "She felt the exercise would help, especially Felix."

"He gets pretty restless, staying in the den all the time with the pups," Rone mimicked Yori's volume, shaking himself slightly as the bitter cold wind against their warm fur. "He would love to go on a hunt with us. Maybe once the pups are old enough."

"Kimmie will be a nervous wreck the whole time," Shego stated, finally starting to feel in control of her breathing. "She worries too much."

Yori sighed. "Not without reason."

"Things will get better," Rone quickly spoke up, his tone filled with conviction. "This winter will be much better than the last one."

The three padded along in silence, reaching nearly where they had crossed the river the night before, until Felix looked over his shoulder, flashing them a wicked grin. Shego had no clue what was coming until the five Possible omegas suddenly took off at a dead sprint- not the pace they'd maintained down the mountain and throughout the ravine, no, this was a full on, dead sprint. Even Felix was a fair distance ahead before the Alpha realized what was happening, lips twitching, unsure if they should pull into an amused smirk or a horrified frown.

Shego was not one to back down from a challenge, however, and found herself lunging forward before she could decide how she felt on the matter.

Nestled in the burrow, the Senior wolves slept peacefully, unaware their charges were wide awake beside them.

"Why don't we run now?" Hirotaka whispered, carefully shifting his eyes between their various guards. Annabelle and James laughed softly, curled up next to each other.

"Patience, Hiro. Our time will come," James lifted his head from Annabelle's shoulder, glancing at the opening of the burrow. "Just listen for the wind to call to you."

The black wolf sighed but settled down all the same, laying his head on one paw and looking at the pad of the other. There were a few scars along the flesh, long since healed from when he was a pup. He didn't remember how he got the wounds, only that they refused to heal, much like those across his back. When he tried to remember, tried to envision his own pack, he could see nothing but the opening of the burrow and the field during the day. Hirotaka liked to think, in the quiet moments when the other slept, that he earned the scars while trying to escape, running as fast as he could until some bigger, stronger wolf came bearing down on him.

His memory didn't seem to start until the day the sandy brown wolf limped into the burrow, the fiery shewolf right beside him. At first, he had struggled with the idea of other wolves being captured, held against their will just as he was; he wondered if it would be a kindness to tear their throats out in their sleep, let them escape from the endless confinement.

Of course he never did, especially not after the new wolves treated him so kindly, like kin rather than a pathetic excuse for a creature that looked vaguely like a wolf. It was strange, too, learning new things, like how to hold a conversation without death threats and insults, how not to flinch at every movement, how to keep the growl from his voice. Learning to trust, really, was _so_ difficult for him, and some part of him knew it shouldn't be, that it should've come naturally, to some degree.

Unfortunately, it didn't, and his eyes squeezed shut at the sudden onslaught of embarrassing memories, of snapping at the two wolves- literally and figuratively- when they tried their hardest to be kind. He swore, to Fhang and Fenrir both, he would make it up to them.

He'd learned to trust; learning patience couldn't possibly be more difficult than that.

Eventually, Hiro's breathing became deep as he drifted off, joining the Senior wolves in slumber. Annabelle softly sighed, looking at the younger wolves surrounding her and her mate. A gentle nudge in her shoulder was all it took for the fiery shewolf's gaze to fall on James.

"Our pup's their age, James," she spoke softly, barely above a whisper. "Kim's probably Bonnie's size. Rone and Yori too, Niqe, Wade, and Felix not far behind."

"The little ones should be growing into their paws now," James continued, chuckling just loud enough for his mate to hear. "I bet Jim and Tim are as energetic as Kim was at that age. Joss, doubly so."

Neither wolf said anything for a while.

"I miss them, James."

"Me too, Anne," the sandy brown wolf replied, squeezing his eyes shut as he curled closer to his mate. "But they're ours. They'll make it."

"Of course they will. Anything's possible for the Possible pack."

In the mountain den, Kim had to bite the inside of her cheek. The effort was in vain, however, and what self-control she might've claimed to have disintegrated into a bout of uproarious laughter, joining the majority of her packmates as they writhed on the ground, laughing just as hard.

Standing on shaking legs, Shego glared at the wolves before her, the effect somewhat lost as she fought to breathe. "Shut… up…"

Sprinting, Go Alphas could do, easily. Running through the mountains before sprinting up the side of one, not so much, and Shego was already cursing her stupid pride. She couldn't just _let_ Yori and Rone lead the way, no, she _just had_ to pretend like she wasn't tired and off balance from the sudden change to her sleeping and dietary habits. That went _well_.

"I… swear… when I-"

Kim got up and padded over to the Alpha, swatting at her once. It was enough to jolt the shewolf into moving which, apparently, her body was not keen on doing. As the pale shewolf fell to the ground, sprawled out, the pups capitalized on the opportunity and claimed their spots. As Kim settled next to the panting shewolf, the pups were settling into pale green and black fur or climbing onto her.

Shego halfheartedly growled at the shewolf before relaxing against the welcoming cool embrace of the stone beneath her. At least it didn't expect her to support her weight, just yet.

The laughter finally died down as the other wolves found their own spots in the den. Felix took care in lying down, a slight grimace marring his features momentarily. Niqe simply raised a brow at him, a small frown on her lips. He simply shrugged.

"I might've over-done it, just a little."

"You think?"

Felix smiled, stretching out his legs as he rolled onto his good side. "It was worth it, though. Totally."

"We'll just make sure you stretch a little longer tomorrow," Niqe stated, leaving the wolf no room to argue. A quick glance at Kim confirmed the crimson shewolf was following the actions, if not the words; a slight nod was all Niqe needed to confirm she would have help in keeping Felix from begging off tomorrow. "It was nice, though."

"What?"

"Running with you," Niqe lightly nipped at the wolf's ear. "You haven't pushed yourself like that in a while."

Felix gave her a lopsided grin. "Couldn't just let Shego talk trash about us omegas and not show her what we're made of."

Niqe rolled her eyes. "Wolves."

The wolf in question merely grinned wider.

"I think it's my turn-" Rone broke off, yawning loudly before completing his question "-turn to tell a story, right?"

"Yes, Rone," Yori chuckled. "I suppose it's going to be another of Rufus' tales?"

"Rufus?" Shego furrowed her brows, looking at Kim.

"He was the last of the naked mole rats, creatures as intelligent as wolves that lived in the ground."

"Of course!" Rone replied, giving Yori a wide grin. "This time, it's the tale of Rufus and the warring packs of the desert. The tale starts when Rufus, travelling with Jon Stoppable, came to this really hot desert, all covered in fine white sand…"

"He's a myth," Wade whispered, careful the pups- who had suddenly abandoned their spots on the shewolves in favor of sitting before Rone as he began his story- did not hear him. "No wolf has ever seen a naked mole rat but one of the first Stoppable pack leaders is said to have known Rufus and travelled with him farther than the territories."

"… and so they travelled for days, resting during the blistering heat of the day and running along the dunes during the freezing night, with only the stars above to guide them…"

Shego leaned closer to Kim. "Who taught Rone these stories?"

"My father," Kim replied, watching the pups as they sat entranced by Rone's tale. It was one of her personal favorites, about Rufus stopping a pack war by encouraging two secret mates to stand up to their respective pack. The only part about the tale she didn't like was the ending- the shewolf was killed by her pack for being a traitor and her mate vowed revenge, his pack following him into battle until every wolf of the other pack was dead- but she always rewrote that part in her head. "Rone's father taught mine all about Rufus and every one of the stories his father had taught him. When we were old enough, my father taught them to us to keep the memories alive, not just of Rufus and Jon, but of every Stoppable."

"Your father is a very loyal wolf," Shego spoke softly, unaware she'd spoken at all as she concentrated on the story Rone was telling. She completely missed the surprise on the crimson omega's face and the subsequent soft smile on her muzzle.

Conversation died down as Rone continued his story.

The moon overhead lit the way for the gold shewolf as she stalked through the trees to her favored clearing. After checking on each of the dens, Jugo had left the Go wolves to their slumber, including her mate. She wasn't quite ready to forgive him his flawed logic; James and Annabelle had always been friends of the Go pack, as far as she was concerned.

But, much as it was fruitless to try and change the course of the river, arguing with Presgo would've been equally impossible. She would have to use other tactics if she wanted to speed the release of the two Alphas, and even then she wasn't sure that was the best option at the moment. With the return of the Possible Alphas, the deal her daughter had made with the omega pack leader would most likely be broken. Despite her threat when talking with Shego, starting a pack war wasn't high on her list of priorities; equally so, breaking the agreement with the Seniors wouldn't bode well for the Go pack, not to mention the turmoil between her mate and daughter if the shewolf couldn't learn to howl.

Especially not when this winter was promising to be harsher than the last; the Go pack, like all the others, was still recovering and in no condition to start or finish a pack war, much less multiple ones at the same time.

Speaking of Shego, the gold shewolf thought with a wry grin, it seemed her wayward daughter was nowhere to be found as of late. Sure, the pale Alpha had a tendency to wander off for a time, especially when Presgo was around, but there was usually some reason for her absence, the time away keeping her ever present anger from boiling over. A disagreement with her brothers, a fight with her father, sometimes even with Jugo; whatever cause for her absence, it wasn't hard to guess or hear about from the other Go wolves. Some had nothing better to do than gossip about the pack leaders' offspring.

Near as she could tell, Shego simply hadn't returned the night prior. There was a deep rooted fear lingering in the back of her mind- strong and capable Shego may be, there was a myriad of dangers in the forest, and even more in the territory at large, and the Alpha would always be her daughter, a little ball of fur curled up against her side- but it was pushed aside for the moment. In all probability, Shego somehow learned that Presgo was back and opted to steer clear of the pack leader for the time being.

With the mating ceremony looming on the horizon, though, it was troubling. Part of her believed her daughter would never shirk from her duties as an Alpha but, well, Shego had never expressed anything positive about the prospect of her arranged mate. That the pale Alpha might leave the territories altogether to avoid the whole ordeal was another consideration she was forced to make, mainly due to snide remarks from other wolves in the pack. Jugo licked her chops; she'd taught them a lesson about disrespecting an Alpha, no doubt, but it was hard to shake off the accusation entirely.

As she came to her clearing, Jugo sighed. She would give the pale Alpha until the next night to return. After that, she would send out the Go Alphas to track her daughter down. The idea of treating the shewolf like a pup wasn't all that enticing, really, but she didn't have many alternatives. It was only a matter of time before Presgo demanded to see her and, were he to stumble upon any of the rumors those cowards were whispering, things would quickly get out of hand.

Alone in the moonlight, Jugo wondered how many other packs faced such an uncertain future… and how they fared.

Shego, her mind never farther from her home in the forest, was quite surprised that Rone was actually pretty good at telling stories himself, though he lacked Yori's finesse with words. He more than made up for it by the excitement in his voice, changing its pitch and severity to portray the voices of wolves long past, moving around as he described epic battles. It was infectious.

Apparently, a little bit _too_ infectious, as the pups, no longer quite content with simply listening to the tales, began challenging the fictitious enemies played by the golden wolf. Suddenly, the story halted altogether as Rone found himself on one end of a coordinated attack. Not that he was alone for long; Wade and Yori quickly leapt to his defense, stacking the odds as they evened the numbers between the two sides. Unfortunately, this somehow volunteered Felix and Niqe as participants as well, and soon the three pups were everywhere and nowhere at once, nipping at tails, ears, and whatever else they could reach before bounding away again.

Kim and Shego, meanwhile, had removed themselves from the fray the moment the pups sprang into action, until Kim lunged forward to snatch up Jim by the nape of his neck before he could attack Felix, who was bemusedly watching Wade halfheartedly snap at the pup's twin currently latched onto his ear. This made Kim the prime target as Tim and Joss valiantly tried to save their counterpart, assaulting the crimson shewolf using every trick the two knew until Jim was freed and all three of the tiny terrors could waylay the pack leader. The others looked on in exasperated amusement, suppressing their laughter as Kim fought alone against her three assailants.

There was a warning brewing in her throat but the pale Alpha clamped down on it immediately; convincing the headstrong omega she was injured enough to warrant rest was difficult enough, she hardly imagined winning the argument when there was nothing seriously threatening to Kim's injured side. She did notice, though, that Kim was favoring the leg just a tad bit, but that was to be expected. A few more nights and the soreness would be gone completely, she was sure.

Shego, once she felt safe from surprise attacks, glanced outside the den's entrance, noting the risen moon. Only then did she remember the reason she was even in the mountains and her own home in the forest. Though she wasn't particularly motivated to do so, she probably should go back to her own den, if for no better reason than to keep Presgo from being exceedingly difficult whenever she did return. Allowing her father to brood, she found, was never the best option.

"The day is more than up, Possibles," Shego smirked, swallowing down the twinge of regret that the day passed so quickly. "I think it's time I go back home."

"Fhang keep you, Shego," Kim paused in her play with the pups to call out as the Alpha padded towards the mouth of the den.

"And Fenrir too," Felix added from his spot on the fringes of the impromptu play fight.

Shego stopped to look over her shoulder at the pack, feeling the regret grow a little more. All of the Possibles were watching her, smiles on their muzzles and a little sadness in their eyes. "And all of you as well."

Turning back, she was almost completely out of the den when Joss called out to her, disentangling herself from the pile of brown and crimson to nervously creep towards the shewolf.

"Can I- can I talk to you, um… alone?" Her tail and ears drooped slightly. "Please?"

Glancing to Kim for permission and receiving it, Shego nodded. "We won't go far."

"Just be careful," the crimson shewolf warned, fighting the impulse to follow after them as Joss and Shego disappeared into the night. She expected to have to defend her decision but, curiously enough, the pack was silent.

"Something on your mind, Joss?" the pale shewolf spoke as soon as she deemed the den was out of earshot.

The pup was quiet a moment, nearly running beside the fully grown shewolf in order to keep up. "I'm not an omega, am I?"

"Uh…" Shego's mind blanked. Shut down completely. No cylinders firing. She'd even stopped dead in her tracks, paw lifted in the air for the next step. "What?"

"I'm not an omega, like them, am I?" Joss repeated, staring up with large, soft blue green eyes. "I'm an Alpha like you."

A sigh escaped her as her mind began working again. Damnit, she objected to lying to the pup in the first place. "Yes, Joss, you're an Alpha." Shego paused, remembering her conversation with Kim about the matter. "Does that matter to you? It doesn't to the rest of your pack."

"They just don't want me to feel bad," Joss plopped down in the cold dirt, trying hard not to cry. "I'm the reason we're always hungry. That's why Kim's always so upset and-"

"Okay, hold up there pup, you're moving _way_ too fast," the shewolf settled herself next to Joss, trying to block the tiny wolf from the wind. "Now, let's go back to the beginning. Why do you feel bad about being an Alpha?"

"I'm not a good Alpha," Joss sniffled. "I'm not big and strong, so I can't hunt. Alphas are supposed to hunt and get food but… I'm too small. Kim has to do it because I can't, and she's not as big or strong as you either."

"But she's quick, cunning, and irritatingly optimistic," Shego nosed the pup. "Besides, you Possibles don't work like that. Everyone shares in the responsibility."

"Because I can't…"

"And that's not your fault. These past few years have been really hard on all the packs. You probably don't remember them, but Kim told me about her parents…" she paused, trying to gauge exactly how much to reveal.

"They were real Alphas."

"As real as you and I," Shego internally winced; this talk was not going as well as she could've hoped. "You're still growing, Joss, and your pack loves you no matter what. They'll support you until you _do_ grow big and strong, and then you'll support them. That's how your pack works; I saw it for myself today."

"Then what's the point of _being_ an Alpha?" Joss snapped her jaws, growling at the larger shewolf. "Why can't I be an omega like they are? Cousin Kim says we're all _wolves_ but we're not, we're different! I'm supposed to be big and strong like you, and be able to hunt, and help the pack, but I'm not! And even if I was big and strong, I don't know how to hunt!" Her ears drooped as her anger died, turning to misery before Shego's eyes. "I'm just useless. Why even be an Alpha when I can't do anything an Alpha is supposed to do?"

They watched each other in silence, the wind ruffling their fur slightly. Without warning, Shego bent down and closed her jaws around the pup's nape, hoisting the undersized shewolf into the air and heading up the path to the overlook.

"Hey!" Joss growled, unable to move her limbs. "This isn't fair!"

Rather than risk dropping the pup and incurring Kim's wrath, Shego stayed silent and steadily padded over rock and dirt, stopping only once she'd reached level ground and setting Joss down beside her. "So you think you're less of a wolf because you can't hunt?"

Having planned on raging at the larger shewolf after regaining the ability to move, Joss was struck by the abruptness of the question. Reflecting on it a moment, her ears drooped. "I'm not less of a wolf… just… not an Alpha. Kim and the others always say that we're all wolves, no matter what, 'cause that's how Fhang and Fenrir made us."

"I wish I believed that," Shego grumbled, casting her gaze across the moonlit features of the forest and valley beyond. "Can you howl yet, pup?"

"Uh, yeah… not very loud though," Joss looked out too, trying to see what the pale Alpha was watching. At Shego's insistence, the small shewolf took a deep breath and howled, the sound small but carrying at least as far as the foot of the mountain.

Down in the den, Kim's ears perked at the faint sound, a small, sad smile coming to her lips.

"This really upsets you, huh?"

Joss nodded, lying on a small rock close to the overlook's edge. "I know I'm just a pup and all but… Kim works so _hard_ trying to provide for the pack, Rone, Yori, and Wade too. And Felix and Niqe spend all their time with us. When I think about my parents, I can't remember the wolves they tell me about… just them." She sniffled, her eyes misting over as she fought back tears. "I just want to be… useful. Make things easier for them, so they can smile more like they did today. They only smiled so much because you were here."

"I wouldn't say that," Shego mumbled, ears twitching. After a moment's hesitation, the pale Alpha bent down, nosing the pup affectionately. "You have the best of intentions, Joss, but you need to see yourself the way your pack does. Don't place blame where it doesn't belong." She settled down next to Joss, smiling softly when the tiny Alpha nuzzled into her side. "See, you think you're not an Alpha because you can't hunt… my pack thinks I'm not a wolf because I can't howl."

"You can't howl?" Joss blinked up at the pale shewolf, stunned.

Shego merely shook her head. "Nope. That's why your cousin and I meet every night. She's trying to teach me how to howl." After a moment's pause, she added. "And that stays between the two of us, understood?"

The pup nodded quickly.

"My point is you have a caring pack that tries their hardest to be there for you and each other. One day, you'll grow up and hunt and do all the things Alphas can do… but right now, enjoy what your pack works so hard to give you and remember it so you can pay them back." Shego raised her eyes to the mostly lit moon. "I guess… maybe I learned something today, being with you Possibles. My pack might not have been the most loving bunch of wolves- and I personally think I could've done without even knowing my father- but they gave me the skills I needed to survive. I'm the wolf I am today because of them, all their strengths and faults, all the bad and good. Maybe I'm not the best- I certainly can't run through the mountains the way you Possibles can- and maybe I'm less of a wolf because I can't howl. But…?" Looking down at the pup, Shego raised a brow, encouraging Joss to continue the sentence.

"But you're still a wolf, no matter what," Joss smiled widely. "And I'm an Alpha, even if I'm not the strongest or smartest, even if I can't hunt, because…" The pup cocked her head to the side, suddenly losing her grasp on Shego's logic.

"Because that's who you are and your pack loves you, no matter what," Shego supplied, laughing at the smile that reclaimed the pup's muzzle. "You know, Kimmie doesn't think you know you're an Alpha. She didn't want to tell you."

"I always thought it's because I can't hunt…"

"It's because she doesn't want you to hold yourself up to standards you can't possibly meet yet and she really doesn't care about the differences between Alphas and omegas," Shego replied, grinning slyly. "Obviously, she doesn't give you enough credit. Did you figure it out on your own?"

"Well, yeah… I noticed my paws were bigger than Jim's and Tim's in the spring… never knew why until I saw yours." Joss looked at her paws, then up at Shego. "Can you stay?"

The pale Alpha chuckled. "I somehow knew that was coming. No, pup, I have my own pack to terrorize."

"Well, could you teach me how to hunt? You know, when I'm bigger?"

"Hmmm, maybe. I'm teaching Kimmie to hunt, so she might want to teach you herself."

"What if you both taught me?" Joss gasped, her tail wagging. "That'd be so cool!"

"Ah ah, don't you get all hyper right before going to sleep; Kimmie'll kill me," Shego teased, rising to head back to the den. "Speaking of Kimmie, you need to get back before she kills me anyway."

The pup bounded ahead of the Alpha, throwing a small frown over her shoulder. "I can go back to the den on my own."

"See previous comment about Kimmie killing me. What did we learn about an angry Kimmie?"

Almost instantly the pup stopped in her tracks, waiting until Shego caught up before padding beside the Alpha.

"Exactly."

The two made their way back to the den in companionable silence. When they reached the den, Kim was waiting for them. Joss nearly attacked her cousin, crashing into the crimson shewolf's legs playfully. With a soft, nonthreatening growl, Kim pawed her cousin aside easily, the two taking turns growling at each other before Joss dashed inside to terrorize her other cousins.

The omega watched the pups play a moment before turning her gaze on the Alpha. "Thank you, Shego."

Shego raised a brow. "You don't know what we talked about. I might've convinced her to tear your throats out in your sleep."

Kim chuckled and shook her head, padding closer to the Go wolf. "Somehow, I doubt it. Tomorrow night?"

"Of course," the Alpha chuckled. "Try not to eat all that meat in one sitting."

"Another fat joke?" Kim rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I-" She suddenly started coughing, earning a curious look from the other shewolf. "You're lucky I don't rip your ears off!"

Shego laughed, starting down the path back to the forest. "Fhang keep you, Kimmie."

"And you as well, Shego," she replied, sighing in relief as the Alpha disappeared down the path. Maybe she just needed some time away from the shewolf; maybe she'd come to her senses with the rising sun. She couldn't possibly be considering Shego as a mate…

Could she?

At the base of the mountain, Shego looked over her shoulder. The wind was already cutting through her fur, not nearly at its worst but still more than a little discouraging. They wouldn't really miss her at the Go den- she'd spent an entire week away once, refusing to come within even sniffing distance of her father- but her absence would undoubtedly be noted.

Yet, while she was starting to miss her brothers- the Wegos of course, and perhaps Mego and Hego too, just a little- it felt a little odd to leave the Possibles. She couldn't put a name to it but it somehow felt wrong to leave the pups behind, to leave Kim with an injured side, to leave the pack at all.

But then, there was her father, and he would probably be keen on interrogating her soon. She'd rather face him like an Alpha than be hunted down like prey.

She turned her options over in her head: should she return to the forest or stay in the mountains another day?

Decisions, decisions.

Yori's ears perked, the sound of claws on stone meeting her ears followed swiftly by a now familiar scent filling her nose. Cracking an eye open, she saw her packmates respond in kind, first hearing the sound then recognizing who it was making their way up the path. Kim lifted her head, the pups already curled up beside her and fast asleep, and smiled when Shego padded into the den and settled down next to the crimson shewolf.

"Back already?" Kim whispered.

The pale Alpha shrugged. "Joss asked me to stay another night."

"Not surprised." The two shewolves chuckled lightly before laying their heads down for sleep.

Yori noticed the tension flow out of her packmates' bodies. Her own shoulders relaxed, though she wasn't worried, per say, about the Alpha's return. Rather- and she was willing to bet it was the same for the others- she was worried the pups would wake up again. Getting them to calm down after realizing the Alpha was back would be _horrible_.

Closing her eyes, Yori resolved to get as much sleep as she could; doubtless the pups would be the first ones awake and, thus, the whole pack would be treated to a sneak attack wakeup call once the sun rose. As she drifted off, the smile that formed on her muzzle as a result of the possible start to the morning never left.

_[To Be Continued: This Means War]_

Author's Note: So… it's been almost a year. I could give plenty of excuses but I don't think anyone's keen on hearing them. Suffice it to say, a huge and heartfelt apology and thanks to everyone who has stuck with this fic. I will be working on the next chapter but, due to this stupidly unpredictable thing known as LIFE, I can't make any promises. Also, thanks Blood Seraph for giving me the extra kick in the rear I needed to finish this chapter.


	12. This Means War

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the premise (Berserkeroo), the title (Love Robin), or the characters (Disney).

-Chapter 12: This Means War-

One would think she would have the presence of mind to face the rear of the cave when laying down the night before but, of course, the annoyance of sunrise had completely slipped Shego's mind. Pulling her lips back in a snarl at the faint light rousing her from slumber, she cracked open one eyes just enough to get an idea of her surroundings before attempting to rearrange herself. What she saw surprised her, ears perking as she watched three pairs of eyes staring right back at her.

Joss, Jim, and Tim were laying less than a paw's length from the tip of her nose, pressed against the floor of the den and watching her, eerily quiet in the morning light. Upon noticing her open eye and attentive ears, the pups' ears lifted in unison and their eyes became wide and round, pleading, flicking to her right every few seconds. Opening her other eye, Shego noticed Kim lying on her side next to her. Her gaze focused on the crimson shewolf's ear.

Her eyes flicked back to the pups, one brow raised in question. Joss returned the raised brow, a small smile on her muzzle. The twins, meanwhile, just watched her and waited.

She looked back to Kim's ear, then to the pups, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. Joss' nose twitched as the twins' tails shifted.

Shego slowly blinked once. Then twice. On the third time, she twisted her head and closed her jaws around the tender flesh of Kim's ear, yanking up almost at the same time as Joss, Jim, and Tim assaulted their targets.

"OW!" Kim yelped, twisted her body sharply to escape her attacker but immediately found Shego on top of her. "What are you-"

"Wake-up! Wake-up! Time for you to wake-up!" Shego sang, joined by the pups as Rone, Wade, and Niqe yelped in surprise at their own attackers.

"So not fair," the crimson shewolf grumbled before lunging up and biting into Shego's fur, twisting her body to throw the larger shewolf off. As the two scuffled, Yori helpfully dislodged Jim from Rone's tail.

"Aw, no fair!" the pup kicked out with his legs and twisted his hips in a vain effort to escape; Yori's jaws were locked tight around the pups fur. "Tim! Joss! Help!"

"Sorry, Jim," Tim replied with a small grin, already caught in Niqe's jaws. "I got caught too."

Joss, on the other hand, was ducking under Wade's belly to bite at his tail when Felix suddenly appeared, using one paw to swipe at the little shewolf. Knocked off balance, Wade was able to turn and close his jaws around her tail lightly. "Aw, me too!"

Tim looked across the den. "Shego! You're our only hope! Save us!"

"Save us, Shego!"

"Huh?" The pale shewolf looked up, barely registering her name being called before Kim bodily knocked her to the ground again. Lying on her belly, Shego tried to get up when weight appeared on her back, the pups groaning in defeat.

"There, you're caught," a slightly breathless Kim said above her, earning a few laughs from the other Possibles.

Shego merely grinned before gathering her paws under her and standing up, earning a startled yelp from Kim and a chorus of cheers from the pups. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

The crimson shewolf flailed uselessly on Shego's back, trying to dislodge herself as the pale Alpha swayed to keep her balance. "Shego, let me down!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, Kimmie," Shego replied with a sly grin before dropping her right shoulder and hip, dumping the crimson shewolf unceremoniously to the ground. "Since you asked _so_ nicely."

Scrambling to her feet, the crimson shewolf looked ready to launch another offensive when Felix suddenly chimed in.

"Alright, everyone, let's grab some breakfast before an all-out war erupts. We can't go around fighting epic play battles on empty stomachs, now can we?"

As the pups were released to race to the meat, Shego shot Kim a smug smile, to which the crimson shewolf simply replied "cheater" before heading towards the meat herself.

Shego laughed, "Cheating? How was that cheating? It's totally in the rulebook."

"What rulebook?"

"Exactly."

Kim shook her head and laughed. "Now I know why Gos don't rise with the sun; you're all delusional so early in the morning."

"And here I thought we were delusional all the time," Shego flashed a grin at the crimson shewolf. "Your shoulder seems to be feeling better."

"My shoulder?" Kim's brow furrowed before she remembered the gash from the night before. "I didn't even think about it, honestly."

"I'm sure you didn't," Shego replied, rolling her eyes. "Do you always bounce back so quickly? Or are you so used to walking it off that you don't know how to be in pain anymore?"

The crimson shewolf shrugged. "It just wasn't that big a deal. I tried to tell you that last night."

"So, the latter, then," the Alpha surmised, chuckling at Kim's exasperation. During their little scuffle, Shego was careful to keep her weight from falling too heavily on the omega but she had noticed Kim was a little slower in reacting, favoring her injured leg just a little. "You should still take it easy for a while. To clarify, that means no suicide runs along the mountainsides."

"Says the one who attacked me this morning."

"It easier to test your abilities than to count on you to be honest about your health."

The omega was prepared to fire back a retort but Niqe interrupted their banter. "Kim, don't even try to argue that one."

"Yeah, she has a point," Rone added.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable; in the course of a day, you've managed to turn my own pack against me. You're pure evil."

"Guilty as charged," Shego happily replied, smirking as the rest of the wolves laughed. With a final, long suffering sigh from Kim, everyone turned their attention to their morning meal.

It wasn't until she was tearing off her first mouthful of meat that it occurred to Shego that she needed to return to the forest sooner rather than later. As much fun as she was having with the Possibles, her own pack would no doubt notice her absence if she stayed away much longer, and the last thing she needed was for Presgo to track her down. Already she could hear his disproving growl ringing in her ears; that part was unavoidable no matter what she did, but at least returning would lessen the chance of the growl being followed by gnashing teeth and blood.

Kim noticed the Alpha's distracted gnawing and leaned over, poking Shego in the shoulder with her nose. "Shego? Are you alright?"

"Hm?" The Alpha grunted, swallowing her mouthful before replying. "Just thinking. It's about time I head back to the Go den."

Instantly the three pups whined, though it was relatively short lived after Kim glanced at the trio. Tim perked his ears up almost immediately. "But, you'll come back soon, right?"

The older wolves chuckled.

"Tim, eat your food," Yori motioned towards the meat the pup had temporarily abandoned. "I'm sure Shego will return when she is able."

"Absolutely," Shego said, turning her head to the crimson shewolf beside her. "As long as it's okay with Kimmie."

Kim laughed around a mouthful of meat, swallowing hastily to reply. "I already said you are welcome to the Possible den, Shego, and I meant it. You can come whenever you like."

"Then it's settled," Shego nodded, bending her neck to tear off another chunk of meat before pausing. She would still see the crimson shewolf for their lessons but, given her extended stay away from the Go den, perhaps taking a night to maintain her presence to the pack might be a good idea. "Although… I'm afraid I'll have to cancel tonight's lessons."

Kim raised a brow but nodded. "Tomorrow night, then?"

"Just like usual." With that settled, the shewolves continued eating their meals with the rest of the Possible wolves.

As she chewed her next mouthful, it struck Shego how completely normal that sounded and wondered if she'd ever said something similar before. She hadn't really made plans with anyone before- not with anything resembling regularity at any rate- yet, it didn't feel weird saying it now. The only weird part was becoming aware that it wasn't weird at all. She considered examining the situation a little closer but dismissed it; regardless of whether or not it was strange to be at peace with regular plans, it was nice, perhaps even a little comforting, and it was too early in the morning for her to ruin it with overthinking.

Unsurprisingly, the pups were the first to finish but, to everyone's relief, were too full to torment the other wolves quite yet. The most they could manage was Joss crawling onto Shego's back while Tim and Jim tucked themselves up against Kim's belly, content to doze lightly while the shewolves ate. Kim initially made to nose Joss off the pale Alpha but Shego shook her head and let the pup rest, returning her attention to her food and quietly encouraging Kim to do the same.

As the wolves finished, Shego noted the position of the sun, thought about how long it would take her to return to the Go den, and weighed her options. If she returned too early in the day, it would arouse suspicion, but she could probably explain things away- it was no secret she avoided her father, so she doubted anyone was concerned as of yet- which left the only downside being she would have to deal with her brothers inquiring her whereabouts, especially the twins. On the other paw, if she returned past midday, Presgo might notice her absence, which might prompt him to seek her out. Even if she turned up before he started tracking her down, her scent would be fresh and he might be tempted to follow her trail straight to the Possible den.

A bit of well-meaning annoyance was the lesser of two evils.

Licking her muzzle clean, Shego turned her head to look at the pup curled up on her back. "It's time for me to leave, Joss."

Joss lifted her head, bleary eyes opening as she clumsily made her way to the ground. As she went to curl up with her cousins, the little Alpha yawned. "'Kay… Fhang be with you."

"You too, Joss," Shego replied, rising to her paws and glancing at the others. "All of you."

The other wolves bowed their heads in acknowledgement, small smiles gracing their muzzles. As she turned towards the mouth of the den, a hundred excuses to stay flitted across her mind but she padded out anyway. The last thing she wanted to do was cause trouble for the Possibles.

Kim watched her go with a pang of concern throbbing through her chest.

"Kim?" The shewolf turned her head, meeting Rone's eyes. He offered her a sympathetic smile. "She'll be back."

"I know," she replied, laying her head down, determined to get a little more rest before the pups woke up, re-energized by their morning meal. Silently, she added, 'I'll still miss her.'

* * *

><p>The morning light filtered through the treetops, dappling the forest floor with little pools of gold that shifted in the wind. Jugo wove her way through the trees and underbrush, moving silently as her mind wandered. After taking some time to think the night before, Jugo had returned to her den and slept, though her slumber was uneasy. She woke with the morning birds, sparse though they were, and left the den again to wander.<p>

Shego hadn't returned during the night; she'd already checked all the dens, though few were awake this early in the day. Drago was the only one of note and he was as displeased, muttering something about a storm coming. While she couldn't smell rain in the air herself, Drago was usually spot on when storms were on the horizon.

But, even the possibility of rain could distract her for only so long.

Sighing heavily, Jugo came to a stop, head dipping low as she stared at the base of a tree without actually seeing it.

No doubt Presgo would seek out Hego and Shego today, which promised to not end well. Hego had made a little progress- if one could call it that- but she had no clue how well Shego was doing, if her deal with the Possible omega was paying off. She supposed she could take the Alpha's absence as a good sign but it was always hard to tell with her only daughter. Aside from all that, she was beginning to feel hungry which no doubt meant the next meal was fast approaching. Given their attentions were elsewhere, Hego and Shego hadn't contributed to the last meal, and many had taken note. Jugo had silenced those grumblings early but the promise of more was not something she was particularly looking forward to regardless.

Another day had passed- time slowed for no wolf, ever- which brought the impending union of the packs even closer and the prospect tasted even sourer than before with Presgo's revelations. She had yet to come up with a feasible approach to the whole James and Annabelle situation and the thought of simply ignoring it made her stomach clench violently. Did the Possible Pack know their Alphas lived? Did James and Annabelle know if their pack lived? During a restless dream, Jugo had imagined being in their stead, unsure if her children were alive.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Jugo gazed instead at a former bird's nest, or what remained of one, in the tree above her.

She needed more time to think about James and Annabelle- it would have to wait until later. Right now, her immediate concerns were the meal and Presgo's impending conversation with Hego and Shego.

The meal, at least, was easy enough to deal with- certainly a night away from their respective practicing wouldn't be too detrimental, though it would come with protests most likely- and that left the only obstacle to overcome as Presgo's eventual inquiry into their progress for which there really was no way to prepare. She would simply have to wait and see.

There was also the distinct possibility Shego _did_ make progress, enough to warrant Presgo's concern- it was an outside chance but it wasn't something she was willing to discount. Revealing the truth would be foolish, given Presgo's apathy for other packs, so a convincing lie would be her best option. But what would be believable?

It was faint, the sound of a leaf crunching, but it caught her ear. Jugo whirled, fangs bared and shoulders hunched, prepared for a fight. As her eyes fell on the culprit, the light blue Alpha merely smiled.

"I'm glad you're keeping your senses sharp," Drago said, his voice light as he sat on his haunches.

"Not as sharp as I'd like," Jugo sighed, calming herself down. "How long have you been following me?"

"I started following your scent not too long after you left; had you not stopped, I'm not sure I would've caught you. I'm not as fast as I was in my younger years."

Jugo chuckled. "I wasn't moving very fast to begin with."

"By 'not as fast' I meant 'considerably lazier'," Drago replied, laughing. "Slip of the tongue."

Jugo rolled her eyes. "Did you wish to speak with me about something?"

The older Alpha flicked his ears forward. "Something is troubling you, Jugo. So, yes, I would like to speak with you about something, if you're willing to share." Jugo regarded Drago for a moment, her expression unreadable. "I'm old, Jugo, but not blind quite yet. Leading a pack in difficult times is a great burden. In times like these, we Alphas must come together to lessen that burden."

"Is that more of Fenrir's teachings?"

"More like a personal philosophy."

Jugo regarded the wolf a moment before shifting her gaze to the streams of light flitting through the leaves. "I appreciate your concern, Drago, but I'm fine. There's no cause for concern."

Though he frowned at her dismissive tone, Drago nodded, accepting Jugo's reply. He stayed silent, watching her with an impenetrable gaze only slightly marred by the single scar adorning his right eye. In his younger years, the expression might've looked intimidating, but now Jugo only saw the weariness of a wolf who had seen too much to be fooled easily.

Jugo breathed a silent sigh of relief as the faint sound of paws padding through dry leaves coming towards them, garnering Drago's attention as much as hers. The relief was almost instantly replaced with concern. Drago was already shifting his stance, preparing to pounce should the intruder present a threat, lips curled back into a snarl. Jugo was halfway there herself when the wind blew, bringing with it a familiar scent layered with several others she didn't recognize.

"Shego?"

The padding stopped, briefly, before starting again, the shewolf shouldering her way through two bushes to enter the little patch of clearing Drago and Jugo stood.

"Good morning, Mother. You're up early," the Alpha replied with a smirk, shifting her gaze to Drago and inclining her head slightly. "Drago."

"The same could be said of you," Drago said in a light tone. "Out for a morning stroll?"

"Heading back to the den, actually." Shego shrugged, padding between the older Alphas. "Spent the night stalking a bear for kicks, wound up a bit further away from the den than I intended, it was late, you know how it goes."

"I see," Jugo glanced at Drago before returning her gaze to her daughter. He _was_ old; perhaps he hadn't caught the other scents as she had. "Presgo returned; he'll want to speak with you when he awakens."

"Oh, joy," Shego grimaced. "I'm already looking forward to _that_ conversation."

"I also expect you and Hego to contribute to the next meal," Jugo added, watching Shego's retreating form. "_Before_ either of you disappear again."

The younger Alpha stopped, looking at Jugo over her shoulder. "I'll have something by the next sunrise. And I'll even tell the musclehead to get something too."

Jugo watched her daughter start on her way once more, trying to find a feasible excuse to suggest Shego take a bath that wouldn't calling attention to it in the process. She wasn't quick enough, though.

"Oh, and Shego," Drago called, a lopsided grin on his lips. "There's a small stream along the way back to the den. If I were you, I'd wash off the scents of your friends, lest someone begin asking questions better left unasked."

Mother and daughter grimaced in unison, Shego pausing in taking her next step while Jugo reigned in her reaction. "I'll… take that into consideration. Thanks, Drago."

As soon as Shego was out of earshot, Jugo turned her attention to Drago fully, ears laid against her skull and lips pulled back in a snarl.

"There's no need for that, Jugo; one of the benefits of age is being able to recognize situations where it's prudent to pretend one was never present…"

Jugo relaxed slightly, but grated out in a terse voice: "I sense a 'however' somewhere in there."

He nodded and smiled. "_However,_ it's also a benefit of age to know when to capitalize on an opportunity." Drago turned to head back towards the den. "I trust you have the situation under control, Jugo. There'll come a time when I'll ask the same of you. That's all."

No matter how polite it might've been, it was less a request and more a condition, something Jugo had to accept with a nod. There was far too much going on between the Seniors, the Possibles, and within the Gos to risk everything now.

She was backed into a corner. She didn't like it but Jugo was never one to focus on the adversity rather than the resolution. Turning back towards the den herself, Jugo reapplied herself to finding solutions to the problems at hand.

At least she didn't have to worry about the next meal.

* * *

><p>The den was quiet save for Hego's snoring and Mego occasionally pawing at the wall. Shego smiled slightly as she quietly padded to her preferred spot, currently occupied by two balls of red and black fur. Once, she would've woken the pups and reclaimed her spot, perhaps chased them off with a snap of her jaws… but something about sleeping by herself felt cold now that she'd slept in the Possible den, surrounded by wolves pressed in close on all sides. As carefully as she could, the shewolf laid down between the two, shifting them only slightly with her nose. One cracked an eye open at her, a tired smile on his muzzle.<p>

"You're wet." His voice was thick with sleep.

"Took a bath this morning. Go back to sleep," she replied, laying her head on her paws.

His eye closed and he shifted a little closer, his twin remaining asleep. Shego took one last look around the den, glanced through the opening and idly wondered what the Possibles were up to, then closed her eyes and fell asleep herself.

The next time she opened her eyes, she saw two familiar forepaws inches from her nose and had to suppress a sigh of disappointment. This was not something she wanted to deal with so soon after waking up.

"Good morning, Father."

"Show some respect, Shego," Presgo growled. "Get up."

Shego bit back the reply that sprang to her tongue, getting to her paws carefully. Both of the Wegos were still huddled around her, pretending to sleep through their father's visit. She could feel the muscles of her shoulders tensing, lips threatening to pull back in a snarl, her body readying for a fight that would never come. It wouldn't do her any good so she tried to be as cordial as possible with the irate Alpha. "Yes, Father?"

"Have you made any progress?" Presgo's piercing eyes had a glint of suspicion to them, buried under his usual scorn. "Well?"

"Yes, I have," Shego replied evenly, not even flinching at the obvious surprise that registered on her father's muzzle. "I still have some ways to go, but I have made progress."

"And what would this 'progress' consist of, Shego?" the Alpha growled, throwing a quick glance at Hego, who was curled in on himself in the corner, watching his father with wide eyes. "The new moon-"

"I know, Father, and the half moon is in two nights. I will be ready by the ceremony."

Presgo watched her a moment longer before turning away with a snort. "The next time you two leave this den, you'd better return with food for the pack."

"Yes, Father," Shego replied in tandem with Hego, though his voice betrayed the fear he felt. After the silver wolf left the den, Shego settled back down to doze. It was barely past midday and too early to start hunting. Not that she couldn't hunt during the day; rather, she'd have an excuse to spend the night away from the den and sleep through tomorrow if she waited until sundown.

"Shego?" The shewolf cracked one eye open enough to see Hego settling back into his usual spot. It was a general rule between the two that they pretended any involuntary reactions during their conversations with Presgo never happened, not Shego's challenging and certainly not Hego's terror. As such, they tended to avoid each other after confrontations with the Alpha, as much as with every other wolf in the pack. "Have you really made progress? He's just going to get worse the closer we get to the new moon."

She considered ignoring him but felt the pups press closer to her. They were awake- she could hear it in their breathing- but they were still dutifully feigning sleep while trying to reassure their sister. She thought about the Possibles, how little their differences mattered, how supportive they were towards one another.

Perhaps ignoring things wasn't how wolves were supposed to act.

"I have, though only a little," she mumbled in reply, a yawn splitting her mouth wide. "I can understand the howls I hear, recognize the voice, that stuff. I guess it's pretty basic for a wolf who already knows how but for me… it's new. And I'm trying." He made a small noise of acknowledgment before allowing the den to grow awkwardly quiet. "How about you?"

"I… don't know," he replied in a whisper. "Some days, I'll go out into the woods, and I feel like the world is right and I can express myself fully. But every time I come back, I don't feel like that anymore." Shego lifted her head to look at her brother. The hulking Alpha had never looked smaller. "I feel useless, like nothing will ever be right again. Then, all I can express is that fear of being useless and ask for help, and that just makes things worse."

Instantly a lump formed in Shego's throat; the look on Hego wore was almost an exact mirror of Joss the previous night. The worry, the distress, the fear, written as plain as day on his muzzle, and he looked like he felt as small as the Alpha pup.

"You're not useless, Hego," Shego said, lifting herself up to pad over to her eldest brother. Settling beside him, Shego put her paw on top of his head and gently lowered it to the ground. She wasn't sure what to say, if anything would help, so she just went with whatever came to mind. "You're strong, stronger than any wolf I know, and not just physically either. Father's put a lot of pressure on you, ever since I was a pup, and you've done the best you could. You pull your weight in the pack and you're the first to volunteer for the winter meals. You're not useless."

"Stronger than any wolf you know?" Hego snorted, lifting his head up slightly without dislodging Shego's paw. "I'm not as strong as Father."

"I think you're stronger." Her voice was matter-of-fact, brooking no argument as she settled beside Hego. "He's never pushed a tree down by himself."

"It was old."

"What about when you pushed that big boulder off Mego after the landslide last spring?"

"It wasn't that big."

"It was big to him," Shego replied, nosing his shoulder. "You aren't useless; every action you take affects another life- maybe a wolf, maybe the prey, maybe just the forest. We all belong to a greater pack and we all play a part in this world. No one is useless."

Hego snorted, a grin on his muzzle. "You've been listening to Drago, haven't you?"

"That's for me to know." Shego settled her head on her paws. "But if you won't listen to that, then here's this: you're my brother, Hego. And I wouldn't have it any other way… even when I'm considering ripping your throat out from sheer aggravation."

"I think you're the only sibling I have who feels that way," Hego said, amending himself after a moment's pause. "That you wouldn't trade me for another wolf as your sibling, I mean. Pretty sure the throat ripping is a common sentiment."

Shego noted the anxious shifting across the cave; the Wegos were young and usually stayed out of Hego's way, especially in the aftermath of their pranks, but they wanted to join the conversation, to assure their big brother they cared. "Maybe you'd be surprised. But, even if that's true, at least when you have no one else on your side, I am, Hego. And I always will be."

Hego sniffled, sighing heavily as his eyes slid close. "Thank you, Shego. I'll always be on your side, too. I mean it." He sniffled a few more times, obviously fighting back tears. "I'm glad I have the best little siblings in the land." His head lifted slightly, enough for Shego to noticed where his eyes were trained. "Think they'll freak out when they wake up?"

"They're already awake." Shego replied with a smirk, raising her voice slightly: "And welcome to join us."

In a blur of red and black fur, the two pups had crossed the den and were squeezing their way between their siblings, mumbling similar sentiments to assure the older wolves they would be supportive as well, no matter what. The older wolves shifted themselves until the four of them were settled comfortably together.

As her brothers drifted off into peaceful slumbers, Shego remained awake with her eyes closed. Before, when she'd listened to the Possibles' combined howl, she'd heard something she'd… taken for granted in her own pack. The Possibles cared deeply for each other and it showed but she couldn't really pick out any specific act of love from her own packmates, except her mother and brothers. Even then, that was when she was younger. But the more she thought about it, the less she could blame them. At some point, she'd distanced herself from everyone, lashing out whenever someone tried to get close. She'd maintained that distance until getting to know the crimson omega.

As sleep began to call to her, the one thing she couldn't remember was why.

From the back of the cave, Mego cracked his eyes open as the breathing of his siblings deepened, his mouth twisting into a sour frown. He couldn't remember quite when it had started- his disdain for his little sister and big brother- but it was overpowering on most days, only ever retreating slightly when both wolves were absent from the den for their trips into the forest to practice. Then, and only then, he could pretend he was the son his father had wanted: strong, smart, capable. He could howl, at least, but that didn't matter; he was an omega, never destined to do anything. He could be jealous of his siblings' natural asset all day long and nothing would change.

Some part of him hated it, though, and that part wanted him to join his siblings and curl up against the damp chill setting in, take comfort in the proximity of the others.

But he stayed where he was, curling in a little more and shutting his eyes. The Wegos were young and could get away with things like that but he was old enough to be on his own. He didn't need them anyway; omegas didn't need anything from Alphas except food. He was-

"Mego." His ears perked up, almost certain he had imagined that. "Mego, I know you're awake." He lifted his head, offering Shego a quizzical look. "You can join too, if you want."

He shifted slightly, ears twitching in disbelief. But the look in her eyes seemed sincere, so he got up and padded over, head low.

"Are you alright?"

Mego scoffed. "As if you care."

He settled down on her other side, expecting his sister's usual response. He visibly jolted when she said: "I do."

He gaped at her, long enough for her ears to droop and guilt to creep into her eyes. Mego snapped out of it, regarding her only a moment longer before replying. "I'm fine, Shego. Just… cranky."

"Okay." Shego nodded, and he could tell she wasn't sure if she should take his word for it or not. He made the decision for her, settling himself down and closing his eyes. Shego followed suit soon after as he listened. They hadn't slept together as siblings since Mego grew into his paws; he'd forgotten how soothing and secure it felt.

Maybe he was being unnecessarily harsh on his siblings before. They were trying their best, some days more than others. It was the price of being an Alpha, though; everyone expected better, expected more of you. Still, it was nice to put that aside and just be siblings again, even if it was only for slumber.

* * *

><p>Kim padded out of the den, following the trail down the mountain towards the river. The rest of her pack, minus Rone and Yori, were still sleeping soundly in the den. The pups groggily repositioned themselves when she left but thankfully went back to sleep rather than rousing the others. Pausing to sniff the ground, Kim followed the trail of her missing packmates to the river, where both were bent down and drinking from the cool running water. She briefly considered sneaking up on Rone- Yori's left ear had already flicked in her direction, and it was near impossible to catch the shewolf off guard anyway- but decided to preserve the quiet morning air. She intentionally shifted a small rock with her paw as she drew closer, earning the attention of both wolves.<p>

"Hey, Kim," Rone greeted as he licked at his muzzle, Yori inclining her head beside him. "Sleep well?"

"I did, thanks. You?" She bent her head to drink, savoring the taste of the water. In the summer, the water was warmed by the sun, and in winter, chilled by the wind. During autumn and spring, though, it was absolutely refreshing. This would likely be her last drink before the winter cold really set in and began turning the water to ice.

"Of course," Rone replied, allowing a moment of silence to pass before continuing. "So. About Shego-"

She nearly choked on the water in her mouth, lifting her head a little too quickly to look at the golden wolf. "What about her?"

Rone raised a brow, cocking his head to the side slightly while Yori merely smiled. "She mentioned a lesson tomorrow night. Is she going to teach you hunting techniques?"

"Oh… uh… maybe?" Kim offered a slight smile, bending her head to resume drinking.

Rone and Yori exchanged a look before the black shewolf spoke up. "Or perhaps you'll be teaching her how to howl?"

This time Kim did choke, coughing violently as she backpedalled from the river. "Wha- what- what do you mean?"

Rone and Yori chuckled. "Come on, Kim," Rone padded closer and nosed her side. "You haven't exactly been subtle about it." Yori gave him a sidelong glance before hip checking him. "Okay, so maybe _I_ needed a bit of help."

Yori rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Shego asked me not to and you guys can't let her know you figured it out," Kim pleaded, ears drooping slightly. "I don't know why she can't but it's a sore spot for her. I've been trying everything I can think of to help her, not that it's a long list." Snorting out a laugh, Kim ran a paw over her muzzle. "I guess I made it obvious when I asked you guys about howling the other night, huh?"

Rone and Yori exchanged a quick glance.

"We've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually." Yori said, nudging Rone's shoulder with her nose.

He frowned. "Yeah… we didn't exactly tell you… the truth when you asked us."

Kim's ears pricked forward, concern washing over her muzzle. Rone sighed, shifting his weight from paw to paw, as if he was fighting with himself to stay still. Yori was the one to speak up.

"You must understand, Kim, it was a difficult time for us," Yori slowly sat on her haunches, eyes directed at the mountain though she appeared to not see it at all. "We had lost our packs. We are grateful for your parents taking us in… but that only came in time. It was an adjustment for both of us." She glanced at Rone before continuing. "When your mother found me… all I could think about was becoming stronger so I could take revenge for the destruction of my pack. I couldn't understand then why no one was fighting to avenge us, why the Seniors weren't being held accountable for what they'd done. I was very angry and very alone- as the last of my pack, I felt it was my duty to carry on the traditions of the Yamanouchi… but I didn't know what they were. I was too young to know, to learn what it meant to be a Yamanouchi wolf."

"Yori," Kim said gently, taking a few steps forward and nosing the other shewolf's shoulder.

"At first… I resented James… for coming too late…" Rone admitted quietly, staring at the dirt between his paws and bringing Kim to a standstill with the abruptness of his words. "I didn't want a new pack- I wanted my mother and father back. I was young; I was stupid; I refused to see it as a blessing and instead blamed him for something he couldn't control." He closed his eyes tight against the tears but they rolled down his muzzle anyway. "I didn't _want_ to be the last Stoppable. I wanted to be dead, so I could see my family again."

"Rone." Kim padded to him, nuzzling against the golden wolf as he wept and pressed against her. "Please don't say that."

"I'm sorry, Kim; it's not like that anymore, I promise," Rone took a shuddering breath. "But it's important you know."

"Rone and I talked about it after we figured out why you were asking," Yori offered a sad smile. "I guess some part of us wanted to forget we ever felt like that."

"Not to mention we were scared," Rone said, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears threatening to spill. "I was terrified you'd hate me if I told you."

"Rone, Yori, no," Kim looked between the two, her ears falling. "Please don't think that. I could never hate either of you. I-" Kim stopped short, taking a breath before starting again. "I can't say I truly understand what you went through because it didn't happen to me, but I do understand how difficult it must've been for both of you. I would never blame you for how you felt then, even if you still felt that way now. You're both family to me; all I want is for you to be happy."

Yori stepped forward and nuzzled against the other shewolf, the two hugging briefly before breaking apart. "Even knowing that, it was a difficult topic to broach. We spent so long feeling angry and guilty that it was hard to consider how you would really react."

"I'm partially to blame too… I guess some part of me always wanted to ask, to talk about it… I just didn't know how to bring it up either." Kim shrugged. "I didn't want to upset anyone."

Rone sighed dramatically, trying in earnest to smile. "I guess that's the problem with the Possible wolves; we're just too damn considerate."

The trio laughed, settling into a silence verging on uncomfortable that Yori broke.

"Anyway… once we figured out why you were asking, we decided we needed to tell you the truth." At Kim's curious look, Yori clarified: "We don't know why Shego made the deal with you but it must mean something important to her and she's done a lot for us in a short amount of time. If you're helping her learn to howl, we have to help you as much as we can."

"That's what family's for, right?" Rone said.

Kim smiled softly, nodding. "I appreciate your honesty, guys." She sighed. "I'm just not sure if that's going to help. I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to helping Shego howl."

"Do we ever?" Yori chuckled. "We have a theory, though, based on our experiences. You see, neither of us could howl when we considered ourselves outsiders to the pack."

"Everything was so… jumbled before." Rone frowned, his composure returning despite the sadness still written across his muzzle. "It was impossible to figure out what to say, how to say it. We couldn't listen either." He shook his head, offering Kim a weak smile. "Nothing made any sense back then."

Yori nodded. "I felt much the same. It wasn't until we accepted our place in the pack that we were able to howl."

"Accepted your place?" Kim cocked her head to the side. Yori searched for words but Rone beat her to it.

"It's like…" he lifted his muzzle to the overcast sky. "It's like sitting outside on a cloudy night, looking up and wondering why it's so dark, wondering what's missing, and not being able to figure it out. Then, you realize it's dark because the clouds are obscuring the moon, and the moment you notice that, the clouds go away and the moon and stars are so bright, they're blinding." He looked back at Kim. "When we realized you and the others were our family, our pack, and stopped seeing ourselves as lone survivors and outsiders, the clouds went away. Everything just… clicked."

Kim slowly sat down, shifting her weight to her haunches as she wracked her memory, replaying every conversation she'd had with the Alpha. "You know… Shego doesn't really talk much about her pack but from what she's told me, she doesn't get along with her packmates. I get the feeling she really doesn't get along with her father but she seems at least on speaking terms with her mother and brothers. Maybe there's something to it."

Yori and Rone shrugged, the shewolf speaking first. "I wouldn't put complete stock in it yet, Kim. Your mother used to tell of wolves who roamed the land alone but could howl still. It's just a theory."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt trying but I get the feeling asking Shego about her pack might not be the easiest thing to do, either." Rone sat down next to Kim. "Still, it's worth a shot, asking how she feels when she's in the forest. We've all seen she's not nearly as…"

He trailed off, searching for an appropriate description, but Kim supplied it. "Infuriating? Aggressive? Condescending?"

"And here we thought you liked her," Rone replied with a grin.

"I was assuming the next words were 'as she pretends to be' and you know it." Kim laughed as Yori sat on her other side. "She's a real sweetheart with the pups."

Yori chuckled. "The point we were trying to make was simply that she may act in a certain manner with her packmates, or because of them, and this disconnect is the root of her howling problem."

"That's a better guess than anything I could come up with. Thanks, guys," Kim replied. They sat in silence after that, watching the forest as the cold wind began weaving its way through the trees.

Clearing his throat, Rone nosed Kim's shoulder while Yori did the same. "You know… we're better now, Kim, really."

"We belong now," Yori continued. "We didn't mean to lie to you about… all this; we just weren't sure how to tell you, or when."

Kim laughed, licking their cheeks. "Come on, guys, stop worrying. I understand, really- did you two think I'd be upset?"

The two shrugged, Rone returning his gaze to the dirt while Yori replied. "It was a concern we shared."

"Well, I'm not," the crimson shewolf assured. "I don't know exactly how you felt, but I do understand what it's like to be at a loss and angry and resentful and confused... we're family now, that's what matters."

"Absolutely." Rone and Yori replied together.

Yori looked towards the forest. "Now the question remains: how are you going to explain all that to Shego?"

"Simple." Kim smiled, getting up and turning towards the den. "I'm not." The three laughed, heading home as the wind began to pick up. "But I will need your help keeping the pups at bay. I have a hunch their adventures are going to get out of hand soon."

"They're already starting to grow again." Rone sighed in relief. "I was worried they'd stay small little fur balls of terror forever. At least once they're grown they'll be easier to see."

"That's what you think." Yori teased, nipping at Rone's ear playfully. "They'll still chew on your tail when you're not looking." The three of them laughed, each pretending to dread the day the pups were no longer pups. "But for now, we'll keep a closer eye on them."

"Yup, no more sneaking off to run to the ridge in the middle of the night," Rone agreed. He gave Kim a sidelong glance. "Which brings us back to you and Shego."

"What's there to talk about?" Kim looked at him, curiosity written across her muzzle.

Before he could say anything, Rone caught sight of Yori shaking her head on the other side of the crimson shewolf and quickly changed gears. "I was just going to remind you to be careful. I like Shego but the ridge is neutral territory. You never know who else might show up."

"I think we can handle anyone who might try starting something," Kim replied, missing the nod Yori gave Rone and his returning wink. "She's a strong fighter and I've got my speed, so I doubt anyone could really provide both of us with much of a challenge. But I will be careful, Rone, just so you don't worry."

The golden wolf snorted. "Like that's ever stopped me."

Reaching the den, the trio entered quietly, noting the others were awake. The pups were already tearing at a hunk of meat sitting between them while the others watched. As they settled down again, Kim felt a sense of contentment wash over her. This was what she remembered from her youth- tearing into food alongside the others, playing and fighting and tricking any and every wolf to cross their paths, laughing and talking. There was simplicity in ignorance, she supposed, but it was a gift meant for the young. She could at least take comfort in watching the pups play even with the knowledge that tough times were on the horizon.

She made a mental note to thank Shego for her help. Even if she succeeded in teaching the Alpha to howl, it would be nothing compared to what the Alpha had given the Possible pack. They had hope again, something real to reinforce the words her father taught her. It was a marvelous thing.

* * *

><p>Presgo's muzzle scrunched up in confusion. "What are they doing?"<p>

"Sleeping," Jugo supplied, smiling at the glare her mate shot her. She nodded towards the den where their children slept, far enough away that the black fur melded them together, the five wolves looking more like one great beast with black fur and patches of red, green, blue, and purple dotting its pelt.

"That much I can see."

"Maybe that's all there is to it." Jugo shrugged, looking away from the den and towards the other Alpha. "There's nothing wrong with it, Presgo."

"Shego and Hego-"

"Will wake before sundown in order to hunt, they both understand that. I don't think the others will mind waking up; the Wegos will likely use it as an excuse to the chase the moonlight through the forest and Mego will..." Jugo's ears drooped slightly. "He and Ergo will probably follow the hunters and make snide comments where the Alphas can't hear. I'm not sure if I'd rather them do that or get up to mischief like the Wegos, honestly."

Presgo's lips pulled back to display his fangs. "Omegas are not to disrespect Alphas, Jugo. Why have they not been punished?"

The shewolf merely rolled her eyes. "Oh please; making jokes no one hears is hardly disrespect, Presgo. Besides, if you can _find_ them during the hunt, by all means, chew them out as literally as you please." Jugo shrugged. "I've only caught them once, and they've only gotten cleverer since then. Trying to find them will be no easy task and they don't cause any harm with it."

The wolf beside her snorted. "It's the principle, Jugo."

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, nosing his shoulder. "Why don't you check on the others? I'll follow shortly."

Presgo glanced at the den once more before turning away. "We're close, Jugo, so close to securing the future of our pack. We can't take chances."

Jugo opted to stay silent as her mate padded away, sighing heavily once he was out of earshot. His paranoia regarding the mating ceremony was beginning to grate on her nerves. More irritating was his complete obliviousness of the other problems they faced.

She padded closer carefully, keeping downwind, in an effort to confirm what she saw. Indeed, Shego was settled between one of the Wegos and Mego rather than on the outside of the pile, and they were on the side Hego typically claimed.

Jugo regarded the peculiar sight a moment longer before following the path her mate took. Whatever the howling lessons with the Possible omega entailed, Jugo had the distinct feeling a lot more was being taught and learned; what she couldn't decide on was how to feel about it. On the one hand, she was pleased her children seemed to be getting along for the first time in several seasons; on the other, it could potentially jeopardize the whole mating ceremony. Which she was beginning to care less and less about as the plight of her fellow Alphas continued to weigh on her mind, actually, so that wasn't quite as solid a counter point as she'd hoped. She would merely have to wait and see, intervening only if Shego began to openly cause problems for the pack.

* * *

><p>At sundown, the temperature dropped with the sun, sending a sudden chill through the den that roused Shego. Noting the setting sun bathing the tips of the trees in golden light, she reluctantly got up and stretched, rousing her brothers in the process.<p>

"Where ya goin' Shego?" One of the Wegos asked before his mouth split open in a yawn, his twin mirroring the action.

"Can we come?" The other asked a moment later with a smile on his muzzle.

"Hego and I are going hunting," Shego replied, glancing towards the entrance to the den. She thought back to the Possibles' hunt, the way the whole pack worked together. Some part of her wondered if Gos could do the same. "And sure."

"Really?" All four of her brothers echoed, excitement tingeing the Wegos' tones while surprise colored Hego's and confusion Mego's.

"Yes, really. Why not?" Shego nodded, the Wegos scrambling to their paws and bounding around her in joy.

Hego got to his paws a little slower. "Shego? We're going hunting together?"

With a slight hint of exasperation, she nodded again. "Yeah, we're all going hunting together. All five of us."

Mego jerked to his paws, gaping openly at his sister. "Okay, this confirms it; who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

Hego and the Wegos laughed leaving Shego to merely roll her eyes. "If you'd rather, I can chew your leg off and offer you up to the pack as a meal."

"And she's back." Hego drawled, padding beside her.

Mego feigned a heavy sigh. "Well, that was short lived. Still," he got up and joined the others "if this is what you want, might as well tag along. Wouldn't want to disappoint my baby sister."

Shego ignored the comment and exited the den with her brothers in tow, wondering what had come over her and how long it would take for her to regret it. As they set off into the forest, the Wegos quieted but emanated an excited energy while Mego and Hego followed silently. She thought about the herd of deer from the Possible hunt and frowned; she would have to steer them clear of that area so as not to endanger that particular herd. If they struck towards the river, they stood a good chance of coming across fresh tracks, though they might have to try several times to find a set that leads deeper into Go territory rather than across the river into the Seniors'.

Turning towards the river, Shego looked over her shoulder at her brothers. "Think you guys can keep up with me?" Her brothers nodded with various degrees of eagerness. "Then let's go."

Shego launched forward, her paws propelling her about as fast as the run through the mountains the night before. Unlike then, though, her lungs were filling with air that invigorated her, her paws instinctively sought the familiar purchase of soil beneath leaves and grass, and her body wove seamlessly between trees and through brush without so much as a branch slowing her down. All around her she could hear her brothers moving, panting in time with her strides, globs of blue, purple, and red at the edges of her vision. It wasn't the single-filed unity of the Possibles but it was a fluid sort of line that wove through the forest, slipping through the patches of moonlight that was just starting to filter through the trees.

As they ran, Shego slowed her pace so as not to push her brothers too hard, especially the smaller Wegos. Not because she might've been even the slightest bit sore from the mountain run, not at all. She came to a full stop as she caught a scent on the wind, her brothers coming to skidding halts in the following moments and circling back to watch her with curiosity.

"Hego, do you smell that?"

The Alpha inhaled deeply through his nose, giving the air a few short sniffs shortly after. "It's faint... but it smells like elk."

Curious, the omegas began sniffing the air. The Wegos exchanged confused glances before plaintively looking to their older siblings.

"We can't smell anything."

"It's okay, pups, I can't smell it either," Mego reluctantly admitted, raising a brow at the Alphas. "Are you two sure it's not wishful thinking? The elk herds don't usually come through the valley until the beginning of winter and they've almost never crossed the river."

"They've been known to come through early on occasion," Hego replied, looking to Shego as he left the other half of Mego objection unanswered.

Nodding, she set her nose to the wind. "The only way we'll know for sure is to head that way."

Hego and Mego drew up next to her while the Wegos bounded ahead, tongues lolling out of their mouths as they tried to get a head start on the older wolves. Shego let them get a little further before setting off, her elder brothers flanking her. As they got closer- either through intuition or by virtue of flagging endurance- the Wegos slowed their pace, Shego, Hego, and Mego slowing as well to keep just behind them. When they stopped running and started trotting through the forest, Shego paused briefly to try catching the scent again.

"We're getting closer," she said as she caught up with her brothers. She could hear the soft rushing of water beneath their combined panting and paws scraping along the soil, the scent of water mixing with the elk. The herd was probably crossing the river and Shego had to agree with Mego that it was strange for them to be this deep into the valley. Usually the Seniors carefully guided the elk, keeping them from the river as much as possible to prevent their food source from escaping into Go territory.

With a gust of wind, Shego skidded to a halt while hissing at her brothers to do the same. It was undeniable this close and the Wegos did nothing to hide their salivation at the prospect of elk for breakfast.

Trying their hardest to catch their breath quietly, the five listened intently. Mego's ears were the first to flick in the direction of a snapped tree branch, the siblings stalking through the underbrush towards the noise. They spread out, keeping each other in sight but giving them more than enough room to move through the trees while avoiding patches of moonlight.

All too suddenly, the herd of elk appeared before the wolves, ten to fifteen of them meandering about on the Go side of the river while seven or eight remained on the Seniors' side. Shego pressed low to the ground, eyes trained on the largest male, easily twice the size of the buck Kimmie had taken down. She licked her muzzle involuntarily, silently praying the herd would move deeper into Go territory.

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Mego and the Wegos copying her movements while Hego did everything he could not to move. While his fur blended best into the dark of the forest night, his size would alert even the dimmest creature to a waiting predator. At least they were downwind of the herd; they still had the element of surprise.

The wolves watched and waited what seemed like half the night as the elk drank from the river and lightly grazed. Then one of the females swung her head around, looking from one side of the river to the other, and began heading deeper into the forest, the rest of the herd following by ones and twos.

"Hego," Shego whispered, slowly turning her head towards the other Alpha. "The ones about to cross the river-"

"I'll take the buck," Hego said, his eyes focused on his target.

Shego nodded minutely. "Wegos?"

"What?" the twins replied, slightly panicked and fighting to keep their voices down.

"You don't have to kill one straight off, but mark your target." Shego squinted at the elk preparing to cross. "Take the small doe, with the white spot on the shoulder." She turned her head the other way. "Mego?"

"The doe with the limp," Mego replied, slightly sheepish.

Shego nodded again and prepared to sprint forward. "Wait for my signal, then sprint for your mark. I'll take the bigger doe. Remember, bite deep and draw lots of blood. The herd will stampede rather than fight for the severely wounded. We're trying to drive them deeper into the forest; don't let them cross the river."

She could almost feel the energy gathering in her brothers as they waited, the only sounds breaking the quiet of the night being the splashing as the elk crossed. The crossing was shallow enough the elk needn't swim but they crossed quickly regardless, the cold water deterring them from meandering through the river. Once they made it to the bank, crossing into Go territory, Shego almost had to growl out a warning to deter the Wegos' fidgeting. Moving too soon would send the elk fleeing across the river; they had to get the timing just right.

Three of the marks passed, the buck bringing up the rear as it looked around, ears flicking, alert for danger as the last of the herd continued passed it. Shego frowned momentarily; they would have to be careful when taking off after their mark, else they'd trip each other up. She thought about growling out a warning but dismissed it. Better to lose a mark or two than spook the elk and potentially lose all four.

The stragglers passed the wolves, heading deeper into the forest. Now or never.

"Go." Shego growled low, launching forward in the same instant. Hego was so quick, it was if he read her mind, leaping clear over her to tear after the buck. Mego and the Wegos were a second delayed in their reaction but at least they hadn't unintentionally tripped each other by taking off together. That was all Shego noted before her vision narrowed to the doe that had jerked its head in her direction, fear temporarily paralyzing it before it began to flee.

Shego was quicker. In two loping bounds, she'd closed the distance and sprung, mimicking her attack from two nights prior. Once again, she was right on target, her teeth sinking into the tender throat of the elk. She bit deep, the taste of blood filling her mouth as her own body weight drug the elk to the ground. It lashed out fruitlessly with its hooves but Shego was concerned with righting herself, twisting her head as soon as she had her paws under her. With the rending of flesh, she tore the elk's throat out, leaving the animal in its death throes as she turned her attention to her brothers.

Hego, of course, had no trouble taking the buck to the ground, circling the beast as it thrashed and darting in to bleed the animal further, mindful of hooves and antlers. Mego, meanwhile, was standing over the dying doe he'd picked out in shock, blood smeared across his muzzle. The Wegos, on quite the other hand, were trading off attacking their mark while the other circled, keeping the beast in perpetual confusion. Their doe was lashing out in terror, bleeding from several wounds. Unfortunately, all the wounds were from the shoulders and lower; the Wegos couldn't quite match the height or weight of the doe, despite their best efforts, and thus were only able to give several shallow wounds rather than the large gashes their siblings could deliver.

Shego crept closer, not wanting to assist the Wegos unless they absolutely needed it but wanting to be within reach to do so. The pale Alpha thought her help might not be necessary until, almost too quick for her to react, the doe turned just right and kicked out with its rear hooves, catching one of the Wegos on the jaw. As he fell to the ground, the doe reared up, ready to put all its weight into bringing its front hooves down on the omega.

Shego never gave it that chance. In a flash, she was barreling into the doe, sending it the ground as she rolled over it, the other Wego setting upon it with renewed vigor fueled by anger. Shakily getting up, the dazed pup joined his twin, their teeth sinking into the doe's neck repeatedly as they lacked the strength to tear its throat out. Shego got to her paws quickly but didn't join; the doe was already beginning to lose its strength to fight and, now that it was on the ground, the Wegos were keeping it too disordered to get up.

It wouldn't last too much longer.

"Sh-should we help them?" Mego joined her, a slight tremble in his gait.

"They're fine." Shego gave him a smirk. "Are you okay there, killer?"

"Just a little shocked it was that easy. I mean-" Mego tore his gaze from the Wegos to meet Shego's raised brow. "- not, like, so easy I did it no sweat, because I swear that thing almost caved my skull in, but… I did it. I killed it." He glanced at the felled doe and shook his head. "I still don't believe that just happened."

"Well, it did," Shego said, returning her attention to the Wegos. "I didn't doubt you for a second."

Mego scoffed. "You used to say I couldn't kill a dying, legless rabbit, Shego."

As the doe slowly stopped flailing, Shego started towards the Wegos, throwing a smirk over her shoulder. "Key words: used to." As she approached her youngest brothers, she had to swat at them with one paw, grazing their ears enough to draw their attention. "You two can stop now. It's not getting up."

The widening of their eyes conveyed their surprise as they dropped their gazes to the doe before looking back up at Shego.

"Sorry we got carried away-"

"-but it hurt when it hit me-"

"-and that made me mad-"

"-we didn't mean to-"

"-promise!" They finished in unison, prompting a chuckle from the pale Alpha.

"I was going to say good job. You two are still growing into your paws; you did great for your first hunt." Shego looked up to see Hego coming towards them, a large smile on his blood stained muzzle. "It just means we'll eat this one instead of Mego's."

The Wegos tilted their heads to the side, looking between the Alphas. Mego was actually the one to answer the question evident in their expressions.

"When the Alphas hunt, they typically kill a big deer or elk for the pack and a smaller one for themselves. They eat the smaller one wherever they make the kill, drag the big one back for the pack, then return for whatever remains of the smaller one if a scavenger hasn't picked it clean by then. Some of the Alphas don't even go back for the smaller one."

"Oh." The Wegos nodded, smiles coming to their muzzles as their tails began wagging. "We get to eat a fresh kill!"

"You guys go first," Hego said, sitting on his haunches a little ways from the carcass.

Shego joined him, nodding to her other brothers. "We've done this a hundred times; you guys chow down."

Even Mego perked up at the invitation and the omegas instantly set upon the carcass. It only took a few seconds for one of the Wegos to draw back in surprise.

"Wow! It's warm!"

Shego and Hego chuckled. "Most fresh kills are, pup."

As the omegas began eating in earnest Hego turned to regard his sister with a smile. "What possessed you to bring us along?"

Shego raised a brow. "Is there a problem with us hunting together?"

"No, absolutely not," Hego replied, nodding towards their brothers. "But you know father would kill us both if he found out omegas went on a hunt. Honestly, I really liked it." Hego glanced at the other kills, at their brothers, then returned his gaze to Shego. "It's… it's great knowing we did this together, as siblings. It's better than great; I don't even know what the word is to describe it!" He shook his head. "It makes me wonder why we didn't do this _seasons_ ago, why we haven't been doing it all along."

Shego shrugged, offering him nothing more. She couldn't very well tell him she got the idea from a pack of omegas that do everything together or that she was spending time with that pack to get away from her own. Luckily, she was saved from any further questioning by Mego raising his head from the meal.

"You guys should join in before it gets too cold," he said, the Wegos nodding emphatically as he spoke. "We did this together after all; we should all reap the benefits."

Hego licked his chops, his hunger glinting in his eyes. "Can't argue with logic like that!"

As he quickly joined the others, Shego laughed, leisurely joining in the meal herself. She wasn't hungry, given her meals with the Possible pack, but she could at least take a few bites. Making a regular thing of it wasn't a good idea but a single exception couldn't hurt.

As her brothers began slowing down, shifting from ravenously tearing into the meat to unhurriedly chewing it, Shego decided to address the unvoiced concern they surely shared.

"So… what are going to tell Presgo when we drag three kills back to the den?"

Hego frowned, swallowing heavily; though he commented on their father's reaction to the truth, he obviously hadn't thought up an alternative. Mego and the Wegos, however, were more than prepared.

"You and Hego left to hunt." One of the Wegos began, the other picking up the thread. "It woke us up, so we decided to go play in the forest."

"I decided to follow you two, for kicks," Mego supplied, shrugging at the surprised looks he received. "Mother knows I follow the hunts all the time. She'll believe it."

"Then, you found the elk crossing the river." One of the Wegos nodded to Shego, the other one nodding to Hego. "He followed the scent of the elk and found you lying in wait by the river."

"I was a safe distance away but heard the Wegos running around nearby, so I had them stop and keep quiet so they wouldn't ruin your chances at the elk." Mego said.

"I took down the buck and this one," Hego said slowly, looking to Shego.

"I took down the doe and caught the one with the limp after it tripped on a root," she replied, the Alphas returning the gaze to the omegas.

Mego grinned. "We saw you needed help dragging the carcasses back, since we were so close anyway. By chance, of course."

"Of course." The others echoed, laughing together as they got to their paws. There was little meat left, not enough to come back for at any rate, and the wolves could turn their attention to taking the other three back to the den.

Hego shook his head. "Remind me to never doubt the skills of an omega."

Shego looked to the west and smiled. She'd have to remember to thank Kimmie, in a roundabout way, next time they met.

She looked forward to it.

_[To Be Continued: Surprise]_

Author's Note: Where does the time go? Seriously. For those of you sticking with me, thanks. I do appreciate it and I'm sorry for lacking on my part. I'm in a better place, mentally and physically, so I hope to be more productive in the coming months. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, I inserted the line breaks for this chapter thanks to the suggestion by LordDreadSigma. I hope it makes it a little easier to read; I will go back and do the same for previous chapters at some point. (Not gonna lie, I thought it was some otherworldly magicks that made them appear; imagine my surprise when I found an actual button for the damn things... learn something new everyday!) See you next time!


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